Chasing Clarity
by resoundingdeluge
Summary: After the fateful night of Robyn Hill's election party, Lie Ren finds himself feeling conflicted about where he stands with his teammate Nora Valkyrie. Desperately seeking peace of mind and answers about how to approach the divide growing between himself and Nora, Ren finds an unexpected confidant in Harriet Bree of the Ace Ops.
1. Ripples

Lie Ren remained very still, in both body and mind. Seconds, minutes, or hours ago, it had been just another morning, and just another training session to him. At present, he was no longer sure exactly when it was, who was with him, or what was going on around him. All that the teen could see was the insides of his eyelids, and all that he could feel was a sense of contentment and tranquil bliss. What had started as the occasional muffled, fuzzy sound of the training session going on around him had eventually melted away from his attention to the point where he could no longer hear anything at all. No sensation of contact with the ground or cubical pillar behind him registered, and even the weight of his hands folded within his lap had slipped from his awareness. It was a state not unlike sleep, though Ren knew that he was still conscious, if only just. More than anything else in that moment, Ren was at peace amidst chaos and feeling well-rested, renewed, and ready for anything. He had begun the day unsure if he would even be able to meditate with all that had gone on during the previous day, and had instead somehow sated all of his worries with the deepest trance he had managed to enter since his arrival in Atlas.

Quite suddenly, his situational awareness returned to him all at once in a spontaneous shock of sensory overload. What was once an uncertain white noise became a near deafening cacophony of clashing weapons, spirited yells, and the wailing of a trumpet somewhere in the distance. The digitally constructed pillar against his back became cold enough to send a light shiver up his spine, and his legs ached from being pulled into a tightly crossed pattern for so long. Despite the overwhelming flood of information, immediate clarity came to Ren as he thrust out his right hand with his fingers clawed, and an errant dodgeball sailed directly into his grasp. The boy's eyes snapped open immediately after the catch, only to find Nora Valkyrie standing nearby with one foot slightly off the ground as she clutched her hammer and cringed. Jaune Arc stood across the room from her, frozen in mid-wince as he kept his shield slightly raised in front of his face. Nora wore a guilty expression, while Jaune looked more shocked than anything as he lowered his shield.

"Sorry, Ren," Nora offered as she finally brought her foot back down to the square-patterned floor of the training room. "I guess I got a little carried away."

Ren exhaled sharply through his nose, and shook his head as he closed his eyes once again. "…it's fine. Mistakes in judgment happen," he reassured as he released the ball and let it roll gently across the floor, toward Jaune. Despite the calm nature of his statement, Nora's face noticeably fell as she looked away from her teammate.

"Still… how do you _do_ that?" Jaune inquired as the ball gently ricocheted off the toe of his boot. "I know you've been practicing lately, but that just seems supernatural!"

"By practicing patience… and _restraint_," Ren replied simply as he lowered his hand back to its original position within his lap while keeping his eyes shut. He missed the sight of Nora turning away and her shoulders rising slightly as she gripped her hammer with more force than necessary.

Jaune cast nervous glances between his two teammates before collapsing his shield and making a hurried approach toward Nora. The girl offered him an uncharacteristically sullen look, to which he offered a weak smile before training his attention on Ren. The raven-haired boy took a deep, calming breath in through his nose, and Jaune knew that such a thing was likely a signal that Ren wanted to be left alone. Even so, Jaune raised a hand to scratch at the back of his head, and made one last-ditch effort to try to remedy the situation.

"So… I think it's probably time to cool off for a bit. Get some breakfast, wait on the latest from Ironwood about what's going on with Penny and the fallout from the election… and just be ready for our next orders. You coming?" Jaune asked hopefully. Again, Ren didn't bother to open his eyes.

"No," he said decisively, his tone devoid of all emotion. "Do what you need to do, and I'll do the same. Contact me if and when we have new orders."

Nora scowled and began mumbling to herself in response before leading the way out of the training room with Jaune in tow. Ren squinted his eyes to try to accelerate his descent back into a meditative state, but found the task nearly impossible. Despite slowing his breathing, trying to block out the surrounding noise, and making an attempt to clear his thoughts of errant memories of the previous night and all that came with them, Ren found his initial fear realized- he could no longer reach even a facsimile of tranquility.

Every trumpet blast from the other side of the room seemed somehow amplified, and shredded his nerves as though someone had taken a paring knife directly to his spinal cord. The harsh scraping of roller skates along the luminescent tiles echoed within his skull, as did the gunshots that brought with them visions of the bodies on the floor of the election hall. Battle cries and the smell of gunpowder brought about even more memories and emotions, and Ren found himself slipping into a recreation of the events of the previous night.

He could once again see the panicked expressions of Robyn Hill's supporters as the lights came back up. He could hear the echoing screams throughout the election hall. He could smell fresh blood. He felt both the touch and taste of Nora's lips upon his… and the conflicting feelings that the sensations brought him, even after a night of fitful sleep.

A not insignificant part of him wanted so desperately to sink into his teammate's touch and indulge in her comforts, while the rest of him felt the need to continue pushing her away to focus upon their mission in Atlas. Everything about the moment had registered as both perfect and infuriating, and he hadn't the willpower to break the lip lock once it had begun. It was everything he needed, and yet, exactly what he didn't want. It was a curse that may have cost them valuable time to act and potentially even his entire relationship with Nora, and yet, a cathartic release that cleared his mind of all worry and tension for a wonderful, fleeting moment.

Ren's heart began to work overtime as he struggled to keep his breathing even and calm, instead of in the pattern of annoyed exhales that seemed more natural in the moment. He shifted his legs slightly to try to better reach peace once again, but it was to no avail. The conflicting, errant thoughts about the previous night's events swarmed through his mind like a cloud of irritated bees, buzzing and dropping him into a sort of state _opposite_ of meditation- the loss of any sense of timing was there, but everything else simply felt _wrong_. Where he had once found tranquility, there was only stomach-wrenching despair. What should have been a comforting silence was instead an ever-present blast of white noise, interrupted by crescendos of gunfire and screaming. The warm sensation of fulfillment had long since drained from his core, replaced only by a cold, bitter feeling of spite, self-loathing, and resentment for his closest friend.

Ren's eyes snapped open once again as he felt a sensation akin to falling, though he received no premonition to warn him of the oncoming danger. The digitally constructed pillar behind him had vanished almost instantly, providing no surface to lean against anymore. Ren flailed his arms to rebalance himself as he looked around in confusion, only to find the source of his predicament nearby. Harriet Bree stood alone, her hand pressed firmly atop a big red button upon the wall of the training room. The woman's eyes found Ren's at the same time that his found hers, and her expression of momentary shock mirrored his near perfectly.

"Oh, my bad," Harriet apologized as she removed her hand from the button and began a slow approach. "I had no idea you were in here. Where's the rest of your team?" she asked as she bent over and offered Ren a gloved hand. He stared at the deep blue fingerless glove and the dark fingers peeking out from within it for several moments, before clasping her hand with his own and allowing himself to be pulled to a standing position.

"Breakfast, I think," Ren replied. He blinked twice at the sound of his voice- for some reason, it had come out parched, unfamiliar, and scratchy. It also sounded _exhausted_.

"_Breakfast?_" Harriet questioned with a raised brow as she balled her fists and transitioned them to her hips. "It's _noon_. Unless the three of you slept in _way_ past your usual, that seems pretty unlikely."

"It's… _what?_" Ren felt his heart skip a beat as he looked frantically around the room for a clock, before remembering his scroll. He slipped the device from his pocket and snapped it open, only to find that the digital display did indeed read _12:06_. "We arrived here at six in the morning!" Ren said incredulously.

"Then you've been meditating longer than you thought, and they're probably looking for you, by now. I'd go and check in. The three of you seem to be pretty much attached at the hips, and I doubt those two can function at all without you," Harriet offered as she dropped her arms to her sides. She paused for a moment and watched as Ren's face twisted into an annoyed and somewhat sickly expression, unlike any she had seem from him previously. Feeling as though she had likely hit a nerve, Harriet looked away and began to make for the door. Mere feet from the exit, a sinking feeling of guilt caught up to her, and seemed to pull her to an involuntary stop. She heaved a sigh and turned to face Ren once again, while folding her arms across her chest. "Is everything alright? You kinda look like shit."

Ren grimaced and let out an uncomfortable noise at the woman's words. Though his physical reaction may have been negative, his immediate mental one certainly agreed with her assessment based on how he was feeling at the moment. Ren brought his bare fingers up to rub at his forehead as he closed his eyes and made one final attempt at a calming, deep breath, only to find the surface of his skin clammy and sweaty despite his overlong "meditation" session.

"…no. I do not think that everything is alright," Ren confirmed with a subtle shake of his head.

"Yeah, I had a feeling," Harriet commented with a solemn nod. "C'mon. Let's head to the mess hall, and get you some food. I'm guessing you haven't eaten, since you're looking kinda shaky. Stress is a killer, and you can't skip meals up here in Atlas. The cold is bad enough when you _do_ have the energy to deal with it."

A surge of panic pulsed through Ren like a lightning bolt, and he lowered his hand into a dismissive wave. "No, no, I'll be alright. Thank you for the offer, but I'd rather not be around that many people, right now."

"My room, then," Harriet offered with a shrug, and a roll of her eyes. "We can get something to eat, and talk a bit to get you back on track. Or is _one_ person still too many?"

Ren stared in bewilderment for a moment, before bringing his scroll back up to eye level and tapping the screen with his thumb. There were no new messages.

"No, one is just fine," Ren said as he looked up to meet Harriet's eyes. "Thank you."

It was Harriet's turn to cast her hand up in a flicking motion, as though she was brushing his very words out of the air. "No problem. You're usually the most stable pillar of your team, and if you go down, they'll _definitely_ go down. This way," she commanded as she shifted her hand motion into one of beckoning and turned on her heel.

Ren allowed his eyes to wander back down to his messages as he began to follow Harriet, as though he hadn't seen the icon correctly the first time. After confirming to himself that neither Jaune nor Nora had tried to contact him, he snapped his scroll shut and moved toward the exit of the training room.

"That may be true," Ren offered as the pair made their way out into the hall. "Though… Jaune is… pretty stable, now, and Nora…" he trailed off, finding that the very sound of her name crossing his lips filled him with uncertainty and nausea.

"…is who's causing you problems. Got it," Harriet said sharply as she turned a corner with Ren in tow. "So, talk to her."

"I _did _talk to her," Ren insisted, with a bit more bite in his tone than he intended.

"No need to be so touchy," Harriet commented as she looked over her shoulder at the younger man. "Were you _direct?_ Did you lay out how you're feeling, in terms of whatever's going on in your head right now?"

Ren knew the answer to that question very well, and the obvious admission that he made within his mind only served to compound his feelings of guilt, shame, and frustration. He nervously rotated his sheathed arm and tried to pass off the motion as adjusting the straps while he preoccupied his hand with refastening the buckles. Harriet merely shook her head and rolled her eyes in response, though her reaction remained unseen by the boy trailing a few steps behind her.

"…can we not talk about this right now? Not in the hallway, at least?" Ren pleaded as he fumbled with the buckle. "I'd rather not be overheard."

"Fine," Harriet replied tersely as she stepped up to an elevator door and jabbed the 'up' button with her forefinger. "Is there anything _else_ on your mind that isn't a big secret?"

Ren glowered softly at Harriet on account of the woman's mocking tone, but in the back of his mind, he knew that the derision was probably deserved.

"…has there been any word from General Ironwood about Penny, yet? Has the situation in Mantle calmed down at all?"

Harriet again spared her companion a look over her shoulder. Ren found her expression to be completely unreadable, and it wasn't long before she redirected her eyes back to the elevator door as she returned her fists to her hips.

"…nothing on Penny, directly, though Ironwood's got a team working to prove that the footage from the attack was doctored. They're making progress, and are hoping to have an official statement out to the public by nightfall. As for Mantle… do you cook, Ren?" Harriet asked as the elevator doors opened, and she stepped inside.

Ren blinked in surprise, and very nearly missed his opportunity to enter the elevator by the time his mind caught up with the question. "Yes, though I don't see what that has to do with the situation at hand."

"I'm getting there," Harriet chided as the elevator doors slid shut, causing the light tuft of hair upon her forehead to wobble softly in response to the shift in the air. "You know when you're boiling noodles, and the bubbles threaten to spill over the side of the pot, so you turn the heat down a bit… but you _know_ those bubbles are going to reach the top again if you stop watching for even a second? _That's_ Mantle, right now."

"That… doesn't sound good," Ren admitted. "Though, some might say that the heat was too high in that situation to begin with."

"And some might tell some others to shut the fuck up, stay in their lane, and let the chef take care of the situation," Harriet spat. "Or do you like cooking things agonizingly slowly, to the point where you leave everyone hungry and pissed at you? I figured you were a _good_ cook."

Ren furrowed his brows as he kept his eyes on the digital readout above the elevator door, indicating they had just reached the 10th floor. Even so, he could feel Harriet's eyes burning a hole into the side of his face with an expectant stare.

"I'm… no longer entirely sure what you're implying with this metaphor, but it's making me uncomfortable. I stand with General Ironwood, if that's what you're asking," Ren said softly.

"My point _exactly_," Harriet replied. "If you learn nothing else from me- _be direct_. This isn't Year One at the Academy anymore, Ren. Miscommunication can get people killed, and others compromised. We don't have time for that as a unit, and I _know_ you don't have time for that as an individual. Or am I wrong?"

Ren watched the number on the display tick to 11, and then 12 in silence.

"…no. You're not wrong."

"Then keep your chin up, and hold it together for another 20 feet," Harriet instructed as the elevator carriage came to a stop and the doors slid open. She stepped out into the hall, and began to walk with a purposeful gait. "We're almost to my room."

Once again, Ren fell into step behind Harriet, and kept his eyes forward. His heart sank as he watched Harriet fish within her pocket to withdraw her I.D. card, only for Marrow to round the corner at the end of the hall and begin a hasty approach.

"_Hey! _There you are!" the faunus cried, his tail whipping enthusiastically behind himself. The extra appendage seemed to freeze in place for all of a second as he spotted Ren, before it resumed its wild wagging. "And nice to see you too, Ren. What brings you up here to the Ace Ops quarters?"

Harriet eyed her teammate with a look of warning as she slid her I.D. through the card reader on the side of the door. She spoke in a harsh voice before Ren had a chance to answer, though he found himself completely fine with her interruption.

"Not important, Marrow," Harriet insisted as she pushed the door to her living quarters open and gestured for Ren to make his way inside. "Do you need something, or were you just looking to say 'hi'?"

Marrow eyed Ren with uncertainty as the younger male made his way into the room, only to snap his attention back to Harriet. "No, not really. I just wanted to know if you were holding up okay. You know, after what happened la-"

"_I'm fine_," Harriet deadpanned. "_You_ were the one assigned to security detail at Robyn Hill's party. If you need to vent, or want something else from me, just say so."

Marrow leaned forward slightly to peer into Harriet's room, where Ren stood looking out the window at the city of Atlas far below. The faunus cleared his throat as he leaned back, well aware that Harriet's eyes were following his every move.

"I mean… I'm not _great_, but I'll be fine, until later. Though if we _could_ talk later tonight, or maybe even…?"

"I'll clear my schedule," Harriet said simply. "For now, I have other things to attend to, and I need a shower. I'll text you later," she finished as she stepped into her living quarters and closed the door behind herself before turning to Ren. "Sorry about that."

Ren kept his eyes on the gleaming city as he braced his hands upon the windowsill. Impossibly tiny cars milled about on the streets below, and the mirror sheen of the skyscrapers in the shopping district reflected light that was nearly blinding all the way up into Harriet's penthouse.

"Not a problem," Ren said nonchalantly. "You seem to be… rather popular, for advice."

"Nah," Harriet disagreed as she made her way toward the kitchenette. "It's just Marrow, and now you, I guess."

"If it's a problem, I can go," Ren offered as he turned around and leaned back against the windowsill. "I don't want to inconvenience you, especially if Marrow needs your help. He should take priority."

Ren allowed himself to look around the sizeable apartment as he spoke, and took in the rather messy details. The walls of the main living space were all painted a light blue, with the ceiling an off-white. The small foyer was occupied by a line of shoes and two coats on hangers, while the main room was taken up mostly by free weights, an entertainment center, a dark blue leather couch with a matching recliner positioned perpendicular to it, and some sort of complicated exercise machine with accompanying deep blue mats in the corner nearest the window. A small kitchenette laid off to one side next to a closed door that Ren assumed to be the bathroom, while another closed door on the opposite side seemed to be Harriet's bedroom.

"Why's that?" Harriet yelled from her place within the kitchenette. "You got to me before he did, so you're up first."

"Perhaps, but you and Marrow are…" Ren stopped himself, knowing full-well what was likely coming.

"Teammates? Friends?" Harriet questioned as she moved about some pots and pans, causing quite a clatter throughout the apartment. "He can wait, and if it was _really_ urgent, I'd have kicked you out and invited him in. Marrow's a big boy, and I can read him well enough to know that he's sorting things out in his own way. As for being _friends_… I know I've got a bit of a reputation among you and yours as being callous and uncaring, but if that was true, would I be opening my door to either of you?"

Ren walked slowly throughout the room, before settling for sitting upon one of the stools below the counter inlaid at the base of the window to the kitchenette. He watched as Harriet moved throughout the space with practiced efficiency, grabbing what she needed from the refrigerator and setting up a pan upon the stove as though it was second nature.

"No, I suppose not… though you are correct. Word _has_ spread that you don't see your teammates as 'friends.' Can I help you in the kitchen…?" Ren asked cautiously, only to earn another fed-up look from his host as she paused her cooking duties to glower at him.

"_No_, and don't get it twisted, Ren- _my_ definition of 'friends' and what some of _you_ people seem to think qualifies as 'friends' are two very different things. If it makes you feel better- _yes_, the rest of the Ace Ops and I are 'friends.' We're just not as close and up each other's asses all the time as a lot of you guys are," Harriet explained. "We rely on each other, we understand each other, and for most of us- that suits just fine. End of story."

"Fair enough," Ren said apologetically as he entwined his fingers and put his hands down into his lap. "My apologies for prying."

"If you were prying, I'd tell you to get bent," Harriet reassured as she began cracking eggs into a small metal bowl. "But I get the feeling that doesn't hold true for you, and you're coming to me for advice, so I _am_ about to pry- what's the problem with Nora? Lay it out for me."

Ren heaved a colossal sigh as he brought his elbows up to lean upon the counter and cradled his head in his hands. He rubbed deeply around his temples as he tried to collect his thoughts, only for a very specific one to jump to the forefront of his mind.

"…this all stays between us, correct?"

"_Yes_, Ren," Harriet replied in a bored and unimpressed tone. "Like I said- this isn't the schoolyard, and I'm not interested in gossip or he-said-she-said drama. Just present the facts, and take or leave my advice. You don't have to worry about me stirring shit."

"Thank you," Ren replied as he folded his arms atop the table. "It's just… there's so much tension surrounding it all that I need to know that this discussion won't bring even more."

"If you're frequently getting too tense to think straight, then find a quiet place to jerk off, or someone down for a one-night stand with no strings attached," Harriet said with a one-shouldered shrug. She blinked in confusion at Ren's widened eyes, and momentarily stopped whisking her eggs. "_What?_ It's good advice. It works for me, anyway."

Ren very quickly averted his eyes from his host as he felt his cheeks begin to match the colored streak within his hair.

"I'll… keep that in mind, I suppose," he said awkwardly as he listened to the metal whisk start scraping within the bowl once again. "In regards to Nora, we're… I think we may be growing apart, and the more she tries to force us together, the more clear the divide becomes in my mind. Sharing the whole story is unnecessary, but we grew up together. We learned to fight together, attended Beacon together, and have been fighting Salem together since the fall of the academy. It just feels to me like I'm growing and changing as a person, while she's… _not_."

"Well, if what I'm seeing from Nora _now_ qualified as 'growing as a person', I'd be a lot more concerned," Harriet said matter-of-factly. "Sounds to me like you've got it all figured out, but you don't like how unpleasant it's making you feel. That's just another step in growing up, Ren. Sometimes you've gotta reevaluate your relationships with other people, and keep them at a distance. Sometimes, if they don't respect those boundaries, you've gotta cut 'em loose entirely."

"I'm not cutting Nora loose," Ren said quickly as he met Harriet's eyes once again. An unexpected, crystal-clear notion manifested within his mind as the answer came to him immediately, and he found that, despite everything, he was firm in his resolve. "She means too much to me."

"But what _you_ mean to her doesn't match up with that, does it?" Harriet inquired as she poured her concoction of eggs and milk into the waiting frying pan, eliciting a sizzling sound. "Something happened."

"Something did," Ren agreed. "I don't know where I stand, right now. I don't know what I want, but I _do_ know that I don't want what she wants _right now_."

"Then tell her that, and don't be evasive and cute about it," Harriet replied. "You're an _adult_ now, and a licensed huntsman. If you want something from one of your companions, make it known. If you _don't_ want something, then make that known, too. There are a lot of complicated things going on right now, but this doesn't need to be one of them. If she cares, she'll understand, and work with you. If she doesn't, cut the rope. If you don't, it'll build to a grenade blast over time, and it's easier to tie strands back together later than it is to build a bridge over a jagged chasm. Get what I'm saying?"

"I do," Ren confirmed. "You'd advise a shock to her system in order to reinforce how serious I am, if she doesn't respect my feelings."

"_Exactly_. See? You're an adult capable of emotional maturity, like I said. Maybe the _only_ adult on your team, to be honest," Harriet praised as she continued to focus upon the frying pan. "We might not have much time before shit hits the fan again, so take care of this sooner than later, and more importantly… take care of _yourself_, Ren. Do what you need to in order to remain focused, and take steps toward self-improvement and granting yourself peace of mind. How's your meditation going?"

"…poorly," Ren admitted as he softened his voice. "I couldn't clear my mind, this morning. I thought I had it for a brief period, but then I just sat there stewing in negative thoughts, and the harder I tried, the worse it became."

"And that's why you don't force something that isn't meant to be," Harriet explained as she slid a plated omelet across the counter to Ren. She leaned back into the cabinets next to the stove and began to dig in to her own omelet, as Ren lifted the offered fork and did much the same. The pair was silent for several moments, before Ren cleared his throat.

"Thank you, Harriet. For the food, for your advice… I have a lot to think about," Ren said between bites of eggs.

"If you ask me, thinking's part of your problem," the older woman scolded. "When it comes to work, let Ironwood chart a course, and follow it alongside us. When it comes to friends, discuss things openly, and save yourself a lot of drama and frustration. Easy enough, isn't it?"

"I suppose it is," Ren agreed. "Though… is it _really_ that easy for you? You have nothing you feel conflicted about, or relationships with others that raise questions in your mind?"

Harriet paused, her loaded fork halfway between her plate and her mouth as she regarded Ren with a blank expression.

"…most of the time. There are one or two people that I'm back and forth with, but I know what steps I want to take to fix that problem. Nobody's perfect, and _everybody's_ a hypocrite. Remember that."

Ren exhaled sharply through his nose, and couldn't fight back the small smile that accompanied the expression. "I will, and if nothing else, at least you're honest. Though… if I may, what is it that keeps you going, and able to give out advice like this?"

"Oh, that's easy," Harriet boasted as she pointed her fork in Ren's direction. "Being the go-to for other people. If you asked me to take a seat on the couch over there and run through my problems, I'd probably get pissed and resist you. I solve my problems by talking through _other_ peoples' problems, and taking comfort in the notion that if other people think I know what I'm doing, it _must_ be true. That, and by staying honest- with myself, and with my team. They know that if they come to my door, they won't get fed bullshit the same way Clover or Elm would give to them. I pride myself on that, and so far, it's been appreciated by the ones who have come knocking. _That's_ what eases my mind."

"Then that's something we share," Ren let on as he finished his plate. "Seeking someone out like this isn't what I'm used to, and it generally makes me deeply uncomfortable. Being there for Nora and Jaune, or members of Team RWBY, feels far more natural. In fact, the notion that I _should_ be uncomfortable talking to you didn't occur to me until just now…"

"Then maybe you're not feeling that way because we have a lot in common," Harriet pointed out as she held out her hand for the plate. Ren slipped it into her fingers, and Harriet turned to deposit them both in the sink. "You're welcome up here any time you want to talk, but for now… I need a shower. I smell like ass after training, and Ironwood's gonna call us up for a debriefing later. That means it's time for you to go… unless, of course, you want to join me."

Ren blinked as he fought to keep his composure and poker face, while watching Harriet turn to face him with a filthy smirk as she leaned back to brace her hands into the countertop while crossing her legs.

"…no, thank you," Ren replied as he slid backward off the stool and pushed it back beneath the counter. "Though I may take you up on that offer to talk again soon, and my… _metaphorical_ door is open, if you ever need to talk about anything, as well. We can find a place to, away from my team."

Harriet shrugged noncommittally as she pushed off the counter and made her way toward the closed door next to the kitchenette. "Eh. Your loss. I'll see you around, and I stand by the notion that everything I've told you is worth listening to, kid. Bree Guarantee."

Ren raised a brow, and folded his arms across his chest with an amused smirk. "Is that so? You _did_ say that breakfast at this hour was incredibly unlikely."

Harriet snorted as she kept her hand on the handle to the bathroom door. "You've got me there… but sometimes, diving headfirst into the unlikely is just what you need, to make things better."

Ren watched silently as Harriet disappeared into the bathroom, and lingered for a moment within the apartment as he listened to the shower turn on. With conflicted feelings, he made his way to the exit and stepped out into the hall, unsure of where he would go next.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Time for a new series, though this one is going to be _far_ shorter than something like _What You Stole _or _Arboretum_. This is just a character study of Ren focusing specifically on examining relationships from a mature lens dealing with self-care, compatibility, and growth. I have no concrete plan for a number of chapters (likely 5 or less…?) or when this story will update, but this will become a semi-regular side project like _Journal of a Vacuan Vagabond _until it's complete.

One final note- in this timeline, the invitation to Jacques' party will be coming _after_ this story is finished, with a gap of a few days to a week 'between episodes'. It's a slightly altered sequence of events, but one that needs to exist to give Ren time to come to terms with his situation and start taking steps to feel content again.

**-RD**


	2. Conflicting Reflections

Harriet Bree exhaled sharply as she stepped one leg out of the shower, and rubbed idly at her biceps as the warm, enveloping steam gave way to cooler Atlesian air. Though the penthouse itself was heated, it was nowhere near as warm as she kept her shower water, and the contrast caused an unwelcome chill that brought on a full-body shiver. Harriet reached for a fluffy black towel and grabbed it from the waiting rack before pulling both it and herself back into the shower, where she began to work at drying her slick skin. She made short work of the majority of the moisture before wrapping the cloth around her waist like some sort of dress and stepping out of the shower proper with a sigh. Her first move was to snatch her scroll off the countertop next to the sink, before leaning back into the surface and firing off a speedy text.

_Ren's gone. Get over here, Mare._

The scroll left Harriet's fingers in a near throw before clattering back to the counter, and the woman didn't bother picking it back up as it vibrated lightly mere seconds later. Instead, she grabbed a second towel and slung it up and around her shoulders before pushing open the bathroom door and letting a head of steam follow her into the main room of the apartment. Harriet made her way to the couch and flopped backward, crossing her legs atop the coffee table and leaning her head back into the cool leather of the couch as she waited in relative silence with her eyes closed. It wasn't long before a muted beep came from out in the hallway, and then the door to the penthouse opened seemingly on its own.

Marrow Amin strolled casually into the apartment while slipping his I.D. back into his wallet. He returned the wallet to a pocket on the side of his pants, before moving to stand beside the couch as he looked over Harriet. His eyes lingered upon her mostly uncovered chest for all of a second before they raised to her face, and he offered a sheepish grin as his tail began to gently wag.

"Hey. How'd it go?"

Harriet opened one eye, catching Marrow's amused baby blues with her own piercing fuchsia.

"Ren's standing at the bridge to adulthood. He wants to cross, and his team just wants to stand on their side of the chasm and jiggle the ropes back and forth like a bunch of stupid assholes," Harriet said simply. "Seems to me like he's starting to realize that he doesn't fit in with his crew… which I could have told you on day one."

"That's a little harsh," Marrow lamented as he rubbed the side of his face. "But also fair. From what I've seen, _Oscar_ is more mature than most of the others, excluding Weiss."

"Yeah, I hear that," Harriet replied while closing her eye once again and arching her back with a soft groan. "Nora's pretty bad. So are Blake and Yang."

Marrow's face twisted into an expression of disgust as his tail fell limp. "Oh, you have no idea. Those two scoff at even the _idea_ of working with other people, or spending time doing anything other than making eyes at each other. They might have decent combat synergy, but circumstances in the field are never ideal."

"That's going to get them killed," Harriet offered nonchalantly as she stared up at the ceiling. "Glad you and I are on the same page, at least… and Ren's starting to write in the same book that we are. Let's leave it at that."

"Then I guess there's only one thing left," Marrow said with a groan as he made his way across the room to flop into the recliner. "Just tell me whether or not this was my fault."

"You _know_ the answer to that," Harriet chided as she sat up and interlaced her fingers between her knees while leaning forward. "You just want to hear it from me, to legitimize it."

"And is that so wrong?" Marrow asked with a frown. "Clover had a lot of questions. So did Ironwood. I froze up at the time, and made us look incompetent in front of Robyn Hill. I can't help but feel l-"

"How big is that town hall?" Harriet interrupted.

"…_big_," Marrow confirmed with a frown. "I was at the back end, watching the doors. I saw _someone_ in the dark, but by the time I got there I c-"

"But you tried," Harriet said coldly. "So did Penny. Whoever did this had a clear plan, and was probably watching the two of you to look for an opening. Don't even _mention_ Ruby, Ren, and Nora- they were preoccupied, and the killer probably didn't see them as a threat. Sending just the two of you down there was borderline irresponsible on Clover's part, regardless of other 'key locations' that he wanted us to monitor last night. Robyn's party was the most important, and he underestimated the number of people needed to fully secure that space. Simple as that."

Marrow slid down the back of the recliner as he regarded his teammate with a miserable look. "I… really don't want to agree with that, and try to throw our leader under the bus on a whim. I _did_ try, and I mitigated the riot that was about to happen immediately afterward. I'm just not the best with words, and as the only other member of Ironwood's inner circle present at the party, I'm getting a lot of heat. I can handle it, but take enough punches, and you start to get worn down."

"Don't I know it," Harriet agreed as she stood and slung her upper towel over the back of the couch, before rising onto her tip toes into an overhead stretch. "Clover should know to back off from you, especially when he knows he should be taking at least partial responsibility. Ironwood _can't_ back off. Once our response to the accusations about Penny is made public, the heat should die down… for now, anyway."

"For now," Marrow repeated as he watched Harriet begin to make her way toward the door at the other end of the apartment. "Hare, do you _really_ think this should fall into Clover's lap, or are you just trying to make me feel better? Because if it's the latter…"

"_Have I ever bullshit you before?_" Harriet called from inside of her bedroom. "_You're still relatively new, compared to the rest of us. You should've had backup, and you realistically did all that you could, if things went down as fast as you say they did."_

Marrow grumbled softly before sliding off the recliner and into a standing position. He raised the volume of his voice while walking into the kitchenette, his tail hanging languidly.

"Hey, you want coffee, or tea? It's gonna be a long night!"

"_Coffee!_" Harriet called, before emerging from her bedroom wearing a simple black sports bra and a pair of matching spandex shorts. "Also, nice deflection. You're just not going to stop stewing over this one, are you?"

Marrow kept his back turned as he busied himself with setting up the coffee pot in the most agonizingly slow way he could manage. He stared at his reflection within the glass of the pot for several moments as he shuffled around coffee grounds with the scoop ineffectually. Finally, he got to work on actually getting something done, and set about filling the pot with water.

"…I've botched an assignment or two before, and I know the rest of you guys have, too, so that's nothing new. But… never to the point where there were _bodies_. I know it's just probably something I'm going to have to get used to seeing… but I don't think I want to," Marrow admitted.

The faunus jumped slightly as he felt a pair of hands gently wrap their fingers around his sides. Slowly, they slid forward and crept up his chest to pull him back into a hug, and Marrow exhaled softly at the comforting sensation.

"…yeah. It blows, but we've all been there, and we can help you through it. You could always do what I do, and try to rebuild your self-worth by helping other people with theirs," Harriet suggested. "There's no shortage of people in need, right now."

"Is that right? Then maybe I'll steal some of your thunder and have a sit-down with Ren," Marrow teased as his tail brushed lightly against the exposed portion of Harriet's thighs.

"Go for it, if that would make you feel better," Harriet offered as she gave Marrow's pecs a light squeeze, and then retracted her arms. "He could certainly use another perspective. I barely know what the hell I'm talking about when it comes to advice, anyway."

At that, Marrow turned himself around and folded his arms across his chest, looking unimpressed. "Well, if _you_ don't know what you're talking about, then what chance have I got? If it wasn't for you, I probably wouldn't have made it past week one with the Ace Ops."

"Fake it 'til you make it, baby," Harriet replied with a shrug as she hopped up to sit on the countertop inlaid in the open section of wall. "Besides- if you and I didn't hit it off, you would've ended up close to someone else among the higher-ups. You're honest and heartfelt in a city of liars and ice. It's an attractive quality, Mare. It'll take you far."

"…'hit it off'. Is that what we're calling it, now?" Marrow asked with an amused grin.

"What do _you_ want to call it? _Besties?_ Friends with benefits? Partners?" Harriet suggested as she counted off on her fingers, before turning the motion into a full-body shrug. "What the hell does it matter, when what we've got going on is for _us_, and us alone? We know how we function, and that's good enough for me. I don't need a word for it, and no one else does, either."

"I suppose it doesn't matter," Marrow admitted. "As long as we have it, we keep it off the field, and it's benefitting both of us… then I'm just happy to have it at all. Honestly, just being able to use you as a sounding board is making me feel a little better already."

"Sometimes, that's all it takes," Harriet agreed as she slid off the counter and made her way to the coffee pot to pour out two cups of the steaming dark liquid that lay waiting. "Well. That, and coffee. Coffee fixes _everything_."

"Ain't that the truth," Marrow replied with a grin as his tail began to move from side to side once again.

* * *

Ren stared silently down at his cup of coffee, and his distorted reflection within it. The light blue rim of the cup framed his features near perfectly, and he found his face remarkably easy to make out within the dark liquid. Steam had long since stopped rising from the drink, and the ceramic seeped a cold sensation into his hands as he gripped the cup tightly.

"…so are we _actually_ going to talk, or just sit here while you avoid looking at me all day?" Nora asked from across the small table with a look of indignation. She, too, had a cup of coffee in front of herself, the level of liquid within it just as high as Ren's.

"I'm thinking," Ren said quickly. He flicked his eyes upward at his teammate for a brief moment, only to find that she had her arms folded and jaw set firmly. If he had to guess, he would have imagined that the girl was grinding her teeth together behind her lips.

"I thought we separated ourselves from everyone else because you were _done_ thinking, and finally ready to talk," Nora replied, her tone consumed with bitterness. The girl leaned forward slightly over the small, two-person table as she lowered her voice. "Ren, what's going _on?_ What happened to us?"

"That's the problem- there isn't an 'us'," Ren said softly as he finally looked up, only to see Nora quickly lean back with a stunned look upon her face. "Not… in the way that you see it, I mean. I should have been more clear last night, but I was trying to imply th-"

"We _grew up_ together, Ren," Nora interrupted as her disbelief gave way to a hint of hostility. "We survived for years relying on each other, we helped evacuate _Beacon_ together, how can you not feel th-"

"Because I don't," Ren said simply as he returned his eyes to his tepid drink. "I don't know what else I can say to explain the way that I feel, other than to say that I don't feel ready to progress our relationship beyond friendship _right now_. That's the part I need you to listen to- it isn't just you. It's me, too."

"It isn't _just_ me," Nora repeated. "And what, exactly, did _I_ do to deserve this treatment from you?"

"Nora, it isn't…" Ren trailed off as he raised a hand, as though he was getting ready to stop her from diving over the table. Slowly, he lowered it back to the wooden surface, and shook his head in resignation. "What exactly do you think 'this treatment' is? What am I doing that's making you so unhappy?"

It was Nora's turn to look away as she considered the question. She said nothing for a while, and ended up running a nervous hand through her hair after several moments of fitful silence.

"…I just thought we were closer than… 'friends.' I thought you picked up on everything I've done and said, because, let's face it- I haven't exactly been _subtle_," Nora pointed out.

Ren finally worked up the nerve to look at Nora directly once again. "No, you haven't been, but did you ever try to _talk_ to me about any of this? Did it ever occur to you to just ask for my opinion, and speak about it openly? Nora, are we really even talking to each other, right now? We've both just ignored each other's questions and said what we wanted to say, instead of answering. I'm equally guilty of causing miscommunication between us, and I want to work through it… but that's only going to work if we can both agree to put the effort in, moving forward."

"Then… now what?" Nora asked. "Where do we go, from here? I still haven't heard anything specific about what went wrong."

"Then you're not listening," Ren insisted.

"And you're not really _saying_ anything!" Nora accused as she put her fist down upon the table, causing a bit of liquid to spill over from her cup onto the wood. "I don't work like this, Ren! I can't do your hints and vague suggestions about 'communicating' more. Just tell me what more you want from me!"

"I don't want _anything_ from you!" Ren replied in exasperation. "Nothing more than for you to just… _be_ _you_. That's enough, and that's all I wish you would do. I was comfortable having you by my side, and feeling closer to you than the others, given what we've been through together. I wasn't ready to take another step forward last night, and I'm certainly not any more ready now."

"Really? Because every time I've _been_ myself lately, you've either barely given me a reaction, or sided with Ironwood!" Nora spat as she withdrew her fist and crossed her arms once again.

"_General_ Ironwood," Ren corrected icily. "And yes, I have, because I'm focusing on what we're here to do, and the unpleasant steps we need to take to ensure that it gets done properly and efficiently."

"By stepping on the necks of every citizen unfortunate enough to be born in Mantle?" Nora questioned. "I've _seen_ how those people live. We all have, and I've also _been_ there, Ren. I thought you understood that."

"I _do_ understand that, and I also understand why you feel the way you do, but this is exactly my point- we don't see things the same way, Nora. _Important_ things, big enough to cause conflict in any sort of… romantic relationship. I don't want to damage what we have by pushing for more and finding out that we aren't compatible," Ren warned.

"Well, you're doing a damned good job of damaging things as it is, so let's go," Nora taunted as she made a beckoning motion with her hand. "What Ironwood is doing is absolutely asinine, and the fact that _you're_ jumping at his every beck and call is disgusting and upsetting."

"Nora," Ren said flatly as he tightened his grip upon his cup.

"You just think you have to do what you're told and stay in lock-step along with the Ace Ops, because it's _easy_. Because that's what this all started out as- go to Atlas for help, and let the ones in charge take care of protecting the relic. Well, guess what? It isn't that cut and dry."

"_Nora_," Ren said again through clenched teeth.

"And now that things are getting complicated, lives are being lost, and the people of Mantle are looking ready to start a full-on _rebellion_, you're telling me that you would be willing to stand alongside the people of Atlas and tell them to suck it up while we're supposedly just taking care o-"

"_Nora!_" Ren yelled with enough volume to cause her to pause in the middle of her rant. The pair of them became vaguely aware of several Atlesian students, and Team RWBY, staring at them from the other tables all around the cafeteria, but Ren didn't seem to care. "You. Are not. _Listening_," he seethed.

Nora shrank slightly into her seat as she cast a sideward glance at the collection of onlookers, before turning her attention back to Ren. "…you're making a scene," she said quietly.

Ren blew out a breath through his nose as he leaned back into his chair and closed his eyes. "_You_ have been making scenes ever since we arrived in Atlas. Truthfully, you've been doing it for much longer than that, and often at my expense. I should have said something earlier, and for that, I'm sorry… but it needs to stop. It isn't cute. It isn't funny. It certainly isn't attractive."

"What happened to 'just be yourself'?" Nora questioned with a frown. "That's just who I _am_, Ren. Maybe I occasionally go overboard, but you've always accepted that, and bailed me out. Don't pretend you've never laughed, or joined in when I raised a point that needed to be made loudly."

"Perhaps I did," Ren agreed as he returned his hand to his forehead. "But lately… I haven't been. Lately, things have been changing, and _I've_ been changing. I feel like… you haven't changed with me. We're not moving in the same direction… or at least, not closely enough that I feel comfortable pursuing more with you. That's the simplest explanation I can give."

"So that's just the end of it, then?" Nora asked. "I'm stuck in the friend zone, regardless of how _I_ feel?"

"Is that such a horrible place to be?" Ren countered, only for Nora to look away once again. "And… I don't know. I don't know how I feel about 'us', or much of anything, right now. I just know that at the moment, I'm not ready for more with you, and I have a lot of other things on my mind. Tell me- what exactly are we missing, between us? What's so bad about things staying the way they were, before last night? What is it that you want from me that I haven't been giving you?"

Nora shifted uncomfortably in her seat, and remained silent. Oddly enough, she looked less like she was trying to formulate an answer, and more as though she was trying to pretend she hadn't heard the question at all. Eventually, Ren shook his head before bringing his other hand up to massage his temples in frustration.

"…kisses? Sex?" he tried, only to be met with wide eyes and a disbelieving scoff.

"_Ren!_"

"_What_, Nora? Do you, or do you not want to discuss this problem maturely?" Ren asked, his voice growing wearier with each sentence. "If we're going to work through this, I need to know what you're thinking. Offering hints and playing cat and mouse is getting us nowhere, and I'd rather be direct and honest. Do you even _have_ an answer?"

"Of _course_ I have an answer!" Nora insisted as she scrunched her face. "And no, it's not just about… I mean, it would be _nice_, sure, but… Ren, where's our fairytale ending? When do we get to be _happy?_"

"When do _we_ get to be happy?" Ren asked as he folded his arms atop the table. "Nora, happiness isn't something that can just be constructed by a team of two and set out to stand the test of time. It's personal. Individual. It can be _shared_, yes, but if you're banking all of your personal fulfillment on the two of us feeling the same way… then I'm not sure what to say to you. Look at how passionately you feel about everything going on, and the fights that it has already caused between us as we are."

"Maybe those fights are happening because I'm also passionate about _you_," Nora finally admitted as she threw her hands up in the air. "I want you to see where I'm coming from, and I want to get through this by leaning on each other, like we always have."

Ren heaved a sigh, and returned his hands down to his lap. "Is that even true? Or do you just want me to agree with you, and you're upset that for once, I don't?"

At that, Nora slid her seat back from the table and rose to a standing position. "What I want… what I want is to be there for you, and know that you're there for me. I want everyone else to know that you and I share something that we can't put into words, and that we're just… Ren, you can't deny that we have something special. Right?"

Once again, Ren sighed as he looked down at his untouched coffee. "Nora…as of right now, what we have is positions on the same team, and the ability to talk to each other about nearly anything. Over time, maybe w-"

Ren looked up to find a view of Nora's back as she began to make her way toward the door to the cafeteria. A twinge of annoyance fluttered through his chest as he watched her disappear through the doors, only for Jaune to begin approaching him from the other side of the room. Without so much as a second thought, Ren grabbed the pair of coffee cups and set out to dispose of their contents before using another door to exit the room.

* * *

Marrow watched in silence as the three videos played side by side on the holographic monitor before him. On the left, Penny could be seen in the election hall, driving a floating sword into the stomach of an unsuspecting victim. In the middle, she could be seen repeating the exact same motion with the exact same timing to a sabretooth grimm on the streets of Mantle. On the right, a shadowy figure with a lashing tail was visible through a green night vision filter, committing the atrocities that Penny had been accused of. With each new victim, the video on the left had Penny's movements matching exactly with the recordings from various places in Mantle that were playing in the central panel. Marrow knew that the sight should have brought him some measure of comfort, yet all he could feel was a heavy, frigid weight in the center of his chest.

"As you can see, someone has access to the security cameras on the streets of Mantle, as well as the knowhow to superimpose footage of Penny from them over the real perpetrator," James Ironwood said flatly as he stood on the opposite side of the table, watching the recordings as they began to repeat. "Thanks to our team of dedicated surveillance operatives, we can quickly disprove all allegations against Penny… but the damage will still linger, in the form of resentment. Does this all match up with what you saw, last night?"

"It does," Marrow confirmed. "The silhouette looks familiar to me. Do we have any idea who that man is?"

"Database scans suggest one Tyrian Callows, a _notorious_ faunus criminal long thought to be deceased," Penny offered as she kept her eyes at the base of the holographic pedestal and away from the replaying footage. "His transport convoy to a maximum security prison was assaulted by grimm several years ago, and a body matching his biometric signatures was found in the wreckage. However, it is possible that the grimm were sent by Salem, and he is now working for her."

"Of course, we aren't putting that third video out into the wild," Clover Ebi stated firmly from his position next to Ironwood. "The theory sounds too farfetched without including Salem in it, and she isn't yet public knowledge. It would just look like an excuse that would make people think the Ace Ops are even _more_ incompetent, or inventing a convenient excuse with which to cover ourselves. Sometimes, less is more."

Marrow visibly winced at the implication in his leader's words, and folded his hands behind himself. "So we're planning on lying to the people, to cover up a lie."

"The truth will come out _after_ Amity Coliseum has been successfully converted into a communications tower, alongside the truth about Salem," Ironwood replied. "While I'm aware that on paper, it sounds like we're simply digging ourselves a deeper hole… we're at the point where we need to keep digging until we come out the other side, back into the light."

"Still… this doesn't feel right," Marrow lamented as he shook his head. "There were several deaths, and even more hospitalizations that resulted from this. The people should at least be given a suspect, a target for their emotional response, other than 'we don't know.' Can't we release the footage of Tyrian, even if we don't implicate him directly?"

"That does sound like a fair compromise," Penny agreed. "The people need a villain that isn't present in this room. At the moment, it seems that many of people of Mantle are calling for my deactivation, Marrow's resignation, or both! Each of those three scenarios is less than ideal, but also incredibly likely if we do not do something to mitigate their feelings."

"…yeah. _Thanks_, Penny…" Marrow deadpanned as he returned his hands to his sides.

"You are most welcome!" Penny offered with a sincere smile.

"Unfortunately, 'fair' isn't our priority, right now," Clover cut in as he deactivated the hologram with the press of a button upon the remote in his hand. "And we _are_ doing something. The decision has already been made, and we're working on preparing a speech to the people of Mantle to accompany the release of the comparison video."

"Let me be the one to give that speech to them," Marrow requested immediately. "Please. Let me be the one to shoulder their ire, and own up to my failure to act quickly enough last night. I want to be able t-"

"_I_ will be the one to deliver the news," Clover interrupted as he shook his head. "As team leader, it's up to me to be the public face of Ace Ops, and take the brunt of our failures- yours included."

Marrow let out a disappointed noise as he cast his eyes to the floor and let his tail fall limp.

"Marrow Amin is producing an unnatural amount of perspiration for the current room temperature," Penny pointed out as she gave the faunus a sullen look, before turning it on Clover. "I believe that he is emotionally compromised, and personally invested in the outcome of this public statement beyond the duties of his career as an Ace Operative. _I_ think it would be best to let h-"

"That's enough, Penny," Ironwood said as he raised a hand to call for silence. The girl obeyed with a curt nod, and Ironwood let out his own sigh. Somehow, it seemed far more labored than Marrow's. "Unfortunately, Marrow, your track record with clarity of speech and professionalism in public settings leaves something to be desired. While I understand that you _are_ personally invested in this, it's time for you to step back, and let us handle this. Do what you need to do to come to grips with the situation, and be ready for a new assignment tomorrow. That is all."

"General, with all due respect…" Marrow began, only for Clover to walk around the table to stand before his subordinate.

"You have your orders, Amin," Clover warned. "Don't make this into something it doesn't need to be. The people need a calm, reassuring presence t-"

"The people need a _shred_ of honesty!" Marrow insisted. "If we can't give them the truth of events, at least let _me_ give them the truth of how we feel about them! We're not just cold, emotionless machines that carry out tasks according to military doctrine!" he said with an impassioned voice, only to freeze up as he caught sight of Penny in his peripheral vision. Marrow's heart sank at the sight of her blank expression, and he moved his eyes to Ironwood, only to remember the general's condition. Suddenly, Marrow felt like he simply wanted to disappear.

"…well, maybe we _should_ be," Clover spat as he gave Marrow a cold, unimpressed look. "We're done, here. Go and _fetch_ the rest of Ace Ops, and give them a brief rundown of what the general and I are going to get done, here. Then, both of you should remain in your respective quarters until tomorrow morning. You'll receive further instructions when the general and I see fit to give them to you."

Marrow felt his blood boil at his leader's choice of words, though he couldn't tell whether or not the slight was intentional. Clover's expression remained totally unreadable throughout his instructions, and Marrow found himself unable to do anything but offer a crisp salute in response.

"Yes, _Sir_," he grumbled before turning on his heel and making a quick exit into the hall. He began a hasty retreat toward the lobby where he knew the rest of Ace Ops would be waiting for him to relay the news, only to hear a set of heavy footsteps echoing across the floor as the sliding door shut itself behind him. Marrow froze, though he didn't bother to turn around as he folded his arms across his chest.

"…Penny, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to imply anything with what I said. I just… wasn't thinking straight, and let my emotions get the better of me."

"I know," Penny agreed as she moved to stand beside Marrow with a soft nod. The two locked eyes as Marrow turned and leaned up against the wall, looking conflicted. "After all, you are technically correct- I do not 'feel' things as humans do. I would be a poor choice to relay information to the people, regardless of the fact that I am the one under the most scrutiny right now."

"So you agree that there needs to be an emotional element to this?" Marrow questioned with a raised brow.

"I believe it would be more effective, and 'shake things up', as some of you say," Penny agreed. "The people of Mantle are too used to news from Atlas being cold and clinical, and they regard the members of Ace Ops in much the same way. You seem to be a valuable exception to that rule- I believe that is also what makes Ruby Rose and Jaune Arc effective leaders. They publicly display their emotions to those relying upon them- often at volume levels unfitting for their surroundings. It makes their statements appear more sincere to other humans and faunus."

Marrow shook his head with a light chuckle, and felt his tail swish involuntarily behind himself. "I'm guilty of that too, but I'm no leader."

"Perhaps you could be, in another way," Penny suggested. "I have no authority in any official capacity over the decisions being made by General Ironwood, but I _do_ have the opportunity to assist the people of Mantle, when and where I can. That is my role, and it is one that I fulfill with pride. Some of those people see me as a leader of defense, and some of them need me to be there for them for any number of reasons. Is there anyone that you believe _you_ could assist, in a similar way?"

Marrow offered Penny a smirk, and pushed off the wall to stand properly once again as he removed his scroll from his pocket. "Maybe I can. Thanks, Penny."

"You are most welcome, Marrow Amin," Penny confirmed as she began to walk toward the lobby once again. "We should carry out our orders, and then do what we feel would be beneficial for ourselves for the remainder of the night and tomorrow morning."

"Yeah, we should," Marrow agreed as he fell into step behind Penny. His fingers danced across the screen of his scroll as he navigated to Lie Ren within his contacts, and began to compose a message.

_Hey- do you want to meet up tomorrow morning and take a two-man job together? You seemed tense earlier, and I'm willing to talk about whatever, if you need someone alongside Harriet._

Marrow watched as a response bubble appeared below his text, only for the pulsing icon to linger for several seconds. Eventually, a message came through, just as he reached the door to the lobby.

_That would be helpful. Thank you._

Marrow allowed himself a small smirk as he snapped his scroll shut and stepped out into the large room where the rest of Ace Ops stood waiting.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

It's looking like 5 chapters will indeed be where this ends. The remaining ones may or may not be of similar length, but I'm not entirely sure yet. It's nice to see the positive response to what is essentially a feel-bad story, especially when so many people seem happy to accept Ren and Nora's 'relationship development' in Volume 7 at face value. I'll leave the full explanation as to why this story exists for the last chapter, but I think, and hope, people are piecing it together as they go. More coming soon.

**-RD**


	3. New Bonds

Jaune Arc cowered slightly behind his shield, trying his best to focus on deflecting the incoming overhead strike from Nora's hammer while simultaneously drowning out the echoing trumpet blasts and sounds of clashing weaponry from the other side of the training room. His shield arm ached with the effort of catching and turning aside yet another blow, and a second followed up almost immediately with just as much force.

"_Gah!_ Nora, do you think you could tone it down a bit!?" Jaune cried as he countered with a spinning sweep. His opponent leapt over the attempt and brought her hammer down even harder, effectively pinning Jaune to the floor as he ducked beneath his shield.

"Do you want to train, or not!?" Nora yelled as she kicked into Jaune's shield at a diagonal. The force of the blow sent the boy skidding backward on his rear across the luminescent tiles, before he dug his sword into the ground and rose into a blocking stance once again.

"Well, yeah, but this isn't training! This is a tantrum!"

"I'll show _you_ a tantrum!" Nora cried as she went for another wide swing.

Jaune raised a brow as he saw the motion begin at far too great of a distance to connect, only for his eyes to widen in horror as he watched his teammate simply let go of the weapon. Magnhild spun forward as a furious projectile, and Jaune just barely had time to duck beneath the perilous obstacle. A deafening crash echoed throughout the room as the massive hammer impacted the wall, and for a moment, everyone present seemed to fall silent as all eyes turned to Nora. She stood with clenched teeth, fists balled and face red as she glared at Jaune from across the room. Neither of them dared to move.

"…Nora," came a low, worried-sounding voice. "I think it may be a good idea to stop, for today."

Nora whipped her head to the side to find the source of the interruption, only to see Oscar take a step backward and raise his free hand defensively as he kept his other upon his combat cane.

"And do _what?_" Nora spat. "All available jobs were taken by members of the Ace Ops, Team RWBY, and _Ren_. If you two want to go, then _go_, but I'm going to train, and do something useful with my time."

"You shouldn't train like this," Jaune pointed out. "You're either going to hurt someone, or yourself."

"Like I can be hurt more than I already am," Nora sneered as she began to walk toward Jaune. The leader of Team JNR stepped out of the way immediately as he watched Nora pick up her hammer and sling it over her shoulder. She said nothing more as she stood facing the wall, and Jaune gave Oscar a quick, uncertain look before he sucked in a breath.

"Nora… we're here for you. _All_ of us are, if you want to vent. I know things are pretty bad right now, but that doesn't mean y-"

"_Leave_," Nora interrupted with a venomous tone. She was vaguely aware of the doors on the other side of the room closing as Team FNKI began to make a quick retreat from the training room. "Just leave. I'll be _fine_."

Oscar moved to take a step closer to Nora, only for Jaune to stop the younger boy by placing a hand out to block his movement.

"…come on. There's no helping people who don't want to be helped. She just needs time," Jaune reassured as he turned and began to head for the door.

"Are you sure? That… doesn't sit right with me," Oscar asked as he kept his eyes on Nora's back. After receiving no answer, he finally let out a sigh and moved to follow Jaune.

Nora closed her eyes and exhaled sharply as she heard the second set of doors close. With an uncaring, sloppy motion, she let Magnhild slip from her shoulder and slam into the floor once again as she kept a loose grip on the pommel of the massive hammer. She brought her other hand up to her forehead and began to attempt to rub away the oncoming migraine, only for the throbbing sensation to intensify as an unwelcome sound began to echo throughout the training room.

The harsh and uneven scrabbling of roller blades grew ever louder as they approached Nora, and her grip upon her hammer grew tighter in response. It was only seconds before Neon Katt slid into view with a cocky grin, and spun to a stop as she inclined her toe down into the glowing tile of the floor. The faunus held up a small, white object between her thumb and forefinger, and offered a knowing wink.

"Need a tampon? I always carry a spare."

Nora let out a noise she hadn't known she was capable of making as she swung her hammer hard and fast. Neon ducked, anticipating the move, and drew her weapon to replace the feminine hygiene product that had begun a lonely death spiral to the floor. As Nora took another furious swing, Neon extended the nunchaku between her hands and trapped the section of shaft just beneath the hammer's head within the chain.

"_Whoa_," Neon commented with a devilish grin. "This might be a job for a heavy-duty pad."

"Shut it, Neon!" Nora snarled as she glowered at her opponent from between their clashed weapons. "I'm not in the mood!"

"In your condition? I'd hope not. That's just gross," Neon taunted before wrapping the handles of her weapon around Nora's hammer. With a deft movement, she twisted into a spin and planted her right leg firmly into Nora's stomach before wrenching the other girl up and over her back. The resulting overhead slam brought Nora to the floor with a resounding crash, where she let out a grunt of annoyance as she stared up at the faunus skating circles around her.

"You… _really_ don't want this fight," Nora warned as she planted Magnhild into the floor and used it to pull herself back to a standing position. "I'm pissed, I have a headache, you're _annoying_, and I'm at the end of my rope. Just go bother your team, or whatever it is you do."

"_Hm_," the faunus pretended to consider as she touched a painted nail to her bottom lip. The motion quickly turned into an apathetic shrug as she rolled to a stop and she shook her head. "Nah! I think I'd rather bother _you!_"

"Then Flynt's gonna have to bring you back to the dorm in pieces!" Nora threatened as a pink pulse of electricity surrounded the head of Magnhild.

"That tired line? Come on,_ huntress_, be a little more creative," Neon taunted as she took off toward one of the rectangular columns.

Nora gave chase immediately, and swung hard for the column. The digital construct shattered into a spray of deep blue, glowing blocks, and Neon batted away one of the errant projectiles while skating backward. She pulled down her eyelid while sticking out her tongue at Nora, and earned another frustrated growl for her efforts.

"Where do you get off on just being obnoxious!?" Nora yelled as she swung her hammer around and converted the weapon into its grenade launcher form. She watched carefully as Neon darted between pillars, before firing a volley of projectiles into where she expected Neon to emerge. "Do you think you're funny? Do you think you're hot shit? You're just the _worst!_"

Neon skated out from behind the targeted column late, and her nunchaku began to glow a soft blue before she flung out one of the handles and batted the last projectile back at Nora. The grenade froze over as it flew through the air toward its target, and landed just before Nora in an icy burst that scattered towering crystals all throughout the area. Nora brought an arm up to shield her face as the blinding overhead lights reflected off of the fragmented spikes of detonated dust, only to catch a harsh strike with her forearm.

"If I'm the worst, what does that make the girl who can't catch me?" Neon taunted as she sailed over Nora's head and landed cleanly upon another icy slope, before skating down and around the bend to face her opponent. "Are you even _trying?_ I know you're slow, but you're usually faster than that. Your voice is pitchier than usual, your hands are shaking, and honestly, with the weight you've put on? You're no match for me, official license or no. Stress eating much?"

Nora grit her teeth as she swung Magnhild once again to shatter the nearest column of ice. Neon merely watched, her tail flicking lightly behind her in amusement as her opponent rushed in once again. With only impassioned yells to punctuate her blows, Nora began a series of quick, overbearing strikes as she advanced upon the faunus. Neon ducked and dipped out of the way while skating backwards at each of the blows, before using her nunchaku to turn a particularly wild swing aside. Nora stumbled momentarily, before relaunching her assault as she felt her eyes begin to well up.

"Why won't you just leave me alone!? Why won't _any_ of you let me just deal with this in my own way, and give me some peace? You don't know me!" Nora insisted as she threw out another overhead slam, only for Neon to dip backward out of the way at the last second. "You think you're untouchable!? You think you're _cute!?_ You think you can just spout your _bullshit_ all day long and come away with everything you want!? I'm tired of looking at your smug face, you condescending, stuck up _bitch!_" she cried, her voice hitching as she attempted another attack, only for the blow to come out slow, trembling, and sloppy.

Neon easily turned the strike aside, but put some muscle into it as she wrapped her nunchaku around the flailing hammer once again. In one smooth motion, she flung the pair of weapons far off to the side to clatter upon the floor, where they skidded to a stop as an entangled pair. Once again, the faunus pulled a white object from her pocket, and held it out to Nora in a dangling motion.

"_Neon! I swear t-"_ Nora began with a hoarse yell, only for the identity of the object to finally register within her mind. There in the other girl's hand was a simple white cloth with a small rainbow emblem sewn into one corner.

"Go ahead," Neon offered in an uncharacteristically calm voice devoid of her usual flirtatious lilt. "Nobody else is here, and I'm not gonna judge."

Nora stared at the cloth for several moments, before she snatched it from the faunus' hand. Before she could stop herself, a torrent of ugly tears began to flood down her cheeks as a feeling of shame washed over her. Suddenly, every thought she had been mentally fighting back about her situation rushed to the forefront of her mind in an unbidden, painful torrent, and she held nothing back as her head continued to pound. Neon was thankfully silent throughout the wailing breakdown, until she slipped an arm around Nora's shoulders and began to guide the other girl toward the wall.

"…you know, being a bitch is a skill," Neon said as she helped lower her sobbing opponent into a sitting position and slumped onto her rear beside Nora.

"…_what?_" Nora asked, her voice coming out as more of a croak than an understandable question.

Neon kept her arm tight around Nora, and leaned her head into the other girl's shoulder. "Knowing how to needle people, get under their skin, piss them off… it takes talent. Not just creativity, for knowing what to say at any given time. You've gotta be good at observation, to pick up on ammo to use later at the opportune moment. I've seen the way you looked at Ren when you all first got here, and I've seen the way he _doesn't_ look at you, anymore. Not to mention- our boy wasn't training with you three this morning, and now, you're an emotional wreck. At the moment, though? We're alone, and your walls are down. I mean, I get it- sometimes, a girl just needs to break shit before she's ready to talk, so I goaded you into getting all of that out of the way first. So… are you ready, or do you actually want to _land_ a hit, first?"

Nora sniffled once again before dabbing the cloth at her eyes as Neon finished speaking. Without hesitation, she threw a light punch into the faunus' arm, and allowed herself a weak victorious grin.

"There. I win."

"Yeah, we'll see about that," Neon offered as she accepted the damp, mascara-stained cloth and held it at a distance. With a small grimace, she tossed the ruined implement to the ground, and let out a small sigh. "Talk to me, girlfriend."

"I'm making a mess of things," Nora admitted as she drew her knees into her chest and looped her arms around them. "I'm letting little things get to me, becoming more and more impatient, and trying to force things that I know I need to wait for. I'm ruining _everything_ with Ren, and every time he tries to offer a compromise, I just push him away because I can't just have _my_ way. I know it's childish. I know it's wrong. But the way we are right now… I _hate _it."

Neon blinked several times as she lifted her head from Nora's shoulder, and raised a brow. "Well holy _shit_, Nora, what do you need _me_ for? Admitting all of that is the first step on the road to fixing whatever you broke. Now, you've just gotta say it to him, and you should be golden."

"I can't," Nora protested quickly. "I can't say _any_ of that to him. I can't admit that I'm the one bringing it all down."

"…you… literally just did," Neon pointed out. "Why not? Because it's embarrassing?"

"Because it _hurts_," Nora explained. "Things were great between us… or at least, I _thought_ they were, but now I'm starting to question if he's ever felt that way at all."

"And you all think _I'm_ immature," Neon deadpanned. "Look, Nora, life is unpleasant sometimes. Occasionally, it's _really_ unpleasant. You're talking to a faunus who grew up in Mantle- I would know. You've really only got three options, when it comes to dealing with shitty situations. You can do what you're doing now, fake a smile and ride it out, or confront it head on and hope for the best. What you're doing right now is sucking the life out of you and your entire team, and faking a smile will probably just end with you losing your shit even harder… so, I think you know what you need to do. Just don't layer on the sass like I do, for this one. By the by- no hard feelings. You're not _that_ fat. I just needed to get you going."

"I know. And you're not… any of those things I said. What if doing that _does_ end up splitting Ren and I apart?" Nora asked quietly. "What if confronting it and listening to him leads to us needing to step back from each other? He was ready to just be friends yesterday and reconsider things later, until I… walked out on him, mid-conversation."

"_Oof_," Neon commented.

"…_yeah_. Last night, we didn't say anything to each other. This morning, he took on a mission with Marrow without even letting Jaune or I know, first. I think it might be too late," Nora lamented as she squeezed her knees more tightly.

"…so, when I was at Hearth Academy, a few years ago? I didn't look like this," Neon began as she gestured down to her outfit. "I didn't _act_ like this, either… or at least, not completely. I used to be a bit of a goth, actually, and I was doing it all to impress a boy."

"You wore _black?_" Nora asked in disbelief as she wiped at her eyes with her hands. "Like… _all_ black?"

"Uh-huh. Black hair, too," Neon admitted as she checked her nails with a frown. "I was still a bitch, but I was a _brooding_ bitch. Constantly unhappy, unsure of myself, acting out and causing trouble just to catch attention from the guy I so desperately wanted to get a piece of. Eventually, I had enough of being ignored, and I confronted him about it. I was an entitled, stupid little girl who didn't understand that sometimes, you just don't get what you want, even if you want it so badly that you think you'll die, otherwise. I got shot down _hard_, and it hurt like hell."

"How incredibly encouraging," Nora said flatly.

"Don't be a douche. I'm not done," Neon warned. "After I did my crying, I started living for _me_. I realized that I didn't need a boy to have self-worth, and I started doing what I wanted, when I wanted. Eventually, a guy just kinda fell into my lap when I wasn't even looking, and we've been dating for two years, now. I'm happier now than I ever was in those stupid fantasies of mine."

"…Flynt?" Nora tried.

Neon visibly recoiled, as though Nora had suddenly become radioactive. "Uh… _no_. Flynt's cool, but he's taken. _Extremely_ taken, for longer than me. I mean, look at him, and think about how smooth his voice is. That boy probably came out the womb and had another puss ready and waiting for him to dive into it."

Nora made a face, and scooted slightly away from Neon. "That… is just _disturbing_."

"Eh, it's how I roll," Neon deflected with a nonchalant shrug. "But anyway, the point is… sometimes things have to suck, before they start to get better. If you and Ren can't work this out, then you need to accept that, move on, and reevaluate what you're doing with yourself. As close as you two are, I get the feeling Ren will stay by your side, even then, and probably help you do it. Just get it over with. Band-aid approach. You know I'm right, and worst case scenario? You can come crying to me. I'll have your back, if you'll let me."

Nora took a few slow, deep breaths before dragging herself back to a standing position and dusting off her dress. "Yeah. I do know you're right. I guess you really _don't_ ever miss a beat, huh?"

Neon snorted as she rose alongside Nora, and playfully brushed the other girl's hand with her tail. "You know it. Now, stop crying over some dumb boy, stand up straight, and be an adult. You're a licensed huntress, now- which, I might add, is _absolute_ bullshit."

"Jealous?" Nora taunted as she quirked a brow.

"Uh… _yeah_," Neon said as she scowled. "Not to mention, you guys have the attention of _General Ironwood_. Whatever you're doing, you're not doing it _all_ wrong, Nora. Be grateful for what you have, and that includes Ren, even if you two just stay as friends. Chin up, keep moving forward, and hit me up if you ever need me to screw your head back on straight again. Or, if you want to get wasted in our dorm. Those aren't mutually exclusive," she finished with a playful wink.

"Who knows, at this point," Nora offered as she scooped up Magnhild and Neon's weaponry from the floor, before tossing the other girl her nunchaku. "Thanks, Neon. And… sorry for blowing up at you. And crying. And being immature and petty, and calling you a bitch."

Neon caught the flying sticks with ease, and slid them back into the holster upon her belt. "Apologize to your _team_, and to Ren. _I_ don't let dumb little things get to me," she replied, before taking off for the door. Suddenly, she spun to a stop, and pointed meaningfully at Nora. "_Oh_, and before I forget- you owe me a tampon. I am _not_ picking that one up off the floor. It's _tainted_."

Nora snorted lightly as she shook her head. "I owe you more than that. See you around."

Neon simply responded with a backward 'peace' sign as she skated her way through the door without another word. Nora watched the portal slide shut before she took a deep breath and took out her scroll.

_Hey, can we talk? I'm sorry about yesterday. I shouldn't have walked out on you._

* * *

"…and then the conversation just ended, really," Ren finished. He kept his eyes on the city of Mantle as he walked along the path atop the perimeter wall, with Marrow at his side. "She just… walked away."

Marrow came to a stop with wide eyes, his tail falling limp. "That's… she just got up from the table and _left?_"

Ren turned to face his companion, and nodded with a sigh as he folded his arms across his chest. "She did. Every time I thought we were making progress, we just ended up sliding backwards, got sidetracked, or it culminated in yelling. We haven't spoken since, despite being in the same room several times. I'm not sure what to do."

"Talk to Harriet, is what you should do," Marrow advised. "I mean, I'll _try_ to help, but I'm not… really… I've never been in a situation like that before. You know, with a _girl_, or… I've really only been single," the faunus confessed with a sheepish grin. "And it only now occurs to me that I am probably absolutely useless when it comes to advice for a problem like this."

Ren merely stared at Marrow, his expression cool and unreadable. With another, heavier sigh, he shook his head.

"I can't say that I agree with that assessment. Merely having the opportunity to vent to someone is helpful, and I… generally don't have another male to discuss these things with. Jaune and I don't talk about this sort of thing for many reasons, and I honestly can't see myself making the attempt," Ren admitted. "Especially given the fact that he, too, has lived with Nora for a long time."

"That makes sense, sure," Marrow agreed as he began to walk once again while Ren fell into step beside him. "Still, though… if a direct conversation is what Harriet advised you to try, I'd trust her, even if things aren't great right now. Don't you at least feel a little better, knowing that you got the hard part over with, and you know exactly where Nora stands?"

Ren furrowed his brows as he kept his eyes on the path ahead. "Well… yes, and no. While what you said is correct, in theory… I'm not entirely sure that _Nora_ knows what she wants. Trying to talk to her about this was like trying to convince a cat to stop clawing the carpet by explaining the value of it slowly and carefully. Every time I thought she understood, it turned out that she was ignoring me, and then her claws went straight back into the pilling."

"That's quite an analogy," Marrow said with a bemused smirk. "It certainly gets the point across, at least. Even if things turn out for the better in the end, is that the kind of person you want to commit yourself to? You seem frustrated even talking about this one conversation. Imagine a lifetime of that."

A chill ran through Ren's spine and worked its way up through his arms. "And that's a major component of why I'm not interested, at present. Despite that, I still have some sort of feelings for her. I… would even go so far as to say that I love her. I just don't think I love her in the way she loves me."

"That's a horrible feeling to have," Marrow offered. "Especially if you know there's good reason for the discrepancy. Just keep in mind that compromise exists in _any_ relationship, even platonic ones. It's just a balance of whether or not the person in your life adds enough positives to outweigh the inconveniences. It's a bleak way to look at things, but it's a logical one, and it's helped me cut a few people out of my life that were really starting to wear on my mental state. Harriet taught me that one…"

Ren gave Marrow a sidelong look, and cocked his head. "If I may be so bold… why do you think you've remained single? Is it a personal choice? I'm not asking with intent to offend, I'm asking because… honestly, I've not felt any romantic longing for anyone, really, and I'm fairly certain you're older than I am."

Marrow stretched his arms up behind his head, and did an uncomfortable flex to buy himself some time as he tried to hide his embarrassment. "I'm… 26, Ren. And that's a very complicated answer that's… really uncomfortable to discuss."

"And I am 19," Ren clarified as he waved a hand. "Forgive me, in that case. It's a question too far, especially for your generosity in listening to me for the past few hours."

Marrow wrinkled his nose as he weighed his options, and blew out a puff of bitter, cold air. "No, it's alright. It's somewhat by personal choice, and somewhat… not. Growing up, I just put that sort of thing out of mind entirely. My parents drilled it into my head that I'd only ever have a chance with another faunus, and I believed them unquestioningly. After all, why _wouldn't_ I trust my parents, at that age? They were like heroic figures to me- both military, and both insistent that I focus on my studies for becoming a huntsman."

"And… I'm guessing that there were not a lot of faunus at Hearth?" Ren asked carefully.

"No. Not many at all," Marrow agreed as he shook his head. "Most in Mantle can't afford it, and most of those that can afford it grew up in a situation similar to mine. Once I graduated Hearth and made it to Atlas Academy, though… I started getting attention from girls, and a few guys. A _lot_ of attention. It took me a long time to figure out that almost all of them just wanted some sort of… well… _exotic conquest_, and a story about an experience with a faunus."

"That's… horrible," Ren said quietly as they reached their origin point at the guard post upon the wall once again. He stopped and watched as Marrow swiped his I.D. in the card reader and stepped into the small shack, before following the faunus inside "Taking advantage of someone like that is disgusting, especially considering you seem to be implying that you were looking for something meaningful."

"Yeah, try telling that to other huntsmen and huntresses just barely edging up on 20," Marrow said with frustration. "Most of the guys said 'Why are you complaining? Take what you can get, while all of the ladies are willing.' Most of the girls only listened long enough to hear that I was looking for a legitimate romantic partner, before they _stopped_ listening, and left the room or changed the topic. So… that was _my_ Academy experience. Don't get me wrong- it was fun, until I caught on, but once you start feeling like a trophy getting passed around, instead of a person? It stops being fun. Quickly."

Ren rubbed his hands together as he leaned upon a wall of the shack, and then began massaging the cold from his exposed fingers. "And I suppose after that experience, you simply… gave up? Or you were so put off by it that it tainted your perception of romantic relationships?"

"That's about it, yeah," Marrow agreed as he pulled out his scroll and began typing upon the screen. "I'm happy with what I have now, and grateful for all of my relationships. If you're really feeling like you aren't interested… then my best advice would be to not be afraid of… trying things. Atypical things, that appeal to you."

Ren raised a brow and sniffed softly. "I'm… not entirely sure I understand what you're suggesting."

Marrow shifted uncomfortably, keeping his eyes locked upon his scroll. "Just… keep an open mind. Everybody has different needs, and sometimes, you don't know what those needs are until they're staring you in the face. My life hasn't gone the way I thought it would, but hey- I'm mostly _happy_. I hope things work out the same way for you."

"Well, it's certainly trending upward, thanks to you and Harriet," Ren offered with a soft smile as Marrow finally looked up and returned the gesture. Ren jolted slightly as his pocket began to vibrate, and he pulled out his scroll. Within seconds, his face fell from an expression of contentment to one of anxiety and frustration.

"What happened? Is it her?" Marrow asked, his expression shifting to match Ren's.

"She… apologized, and wants to talk," Ren said simply as he continued to stare down at the device. "Part of me wants to shut my scroll and turn off alerts. Part of me wants to go and see her, right now. I'm… not sure which part is bigger."

Marrow considered the options as he walked to the window and looked out over the tundra. "Ren… whatever you decide, just keep in mind, you're not obligated to make her happy, _especially_ after yesterday. Do what you need to do, for yourself. I'm sorry my advice isn't better."

Ren made a noise of annoyance as he slowly began to type, before deleting his message and starting anew. "I'm… I'm telling her that I'm not feeling well, and that we can talk tomorrow. Is that fair?"

"More than fair," Marrow assured. "Though, isn't that going to be hard to explain away, given that you're staying in the same room? Unless you crash with me, tonight. You're more than welcome."

"I think I'll take you up on that offer," Ren said as he took a deep breath and hit the 'Send' button. "And now… there's no taking that back. How well do you know Harriet?"

Marrow blinked several times, and turned around to face Ren once again with a scandalized look. "Uh, well, that depends on what you mean…"

"I… just wanted to know if you think she would be annoyed if I asked to speak to her again, tonight. She made the offer, but I feel somewhat guilty, coming to call again so soon," Ren explained with a puzzled look.

"Oh!" Marrow exclaimed, before clearing his throat. "Oh, yeah, no, that would be fine. She wouldn't offer unless she actually cared about you, in her own way. Go ahead and see her, and I'll take care of reporting in for us. Feel better, Ren."

"I'll try," Ren replied as he opened the door to the shack. "And… Marrow? Try not to be so hard on yourself. You've been very helpful, and I hope I can return the favor, eventually."

Marrow merely offered a nod and a small wave, before collapsing into the waiting desk chair as Ren stepped outside while closing the door. His tail remained still as he started filing a summary of their patrol.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

The scene with Neon actually wasn't in the original plan, and Ren was going to receive almost all of the focus in this short series. However, I think it's important to give Nora a bit of development so that she doesn't seem one-note and villainized- she's just immature and making mistakes. Still on track to end this in 5 chapters… for now. Chapter 4 should be coming relatively soon, and the story will be going up to an M rating because… uh, reasons. Consider this fair warning.

**-RD**


	4. Breaking Through

Ren's mind raced as he hurriedly walked down the 12th floor hall of Atlas Academy. The elevator doors slid shut behind him with a subtle noise, though the sound barely registered through his preoccupied thoughts. It took Ren a few seconds to realize that he had passed Harriet's door, before he turned back and realized the reason for his mistake- the door stood open, and the soft sounds of metallic clinking spilled forth from inside of the apartment. Ren slowly doubled back and walked inside, only to find Harriet facing away from him as she sat atop the exercise machine, once again wearing a tight set of workout clothes. Her toned back muscles flexed as she pulled down on the machine's attached handles, and a set of weights on either side raised slowly into the air. Ren couldn't help but stare for a moment as his hand lingered upon the doorknob, before his senses finally returned to him.

"Should I… close the door?" he asked, suddenly unsure of himself.

"_Yeah_," Harriet intoned as she pulled down once again, her command accentuated by a grunt of effort. "Unless you want the rest of Ace Ops potentially hearing about your problems."

Ren pulled the door shut without hesitation, and made his way toward the corner of the room. He stopped a few feet from Harriet, and nervously clasped his hands in front of himself while collecting his thoughts.

"Harriet… thank you for seeing me again, especially on such short notice. I know that in the grand scheme of things, all of this must seem incredibly unimportant… but I want to work past it as quickly as possible so that I can focus fully on our mission, moving forward," Ren said softly as his eyes fell to the free weights on the floor beside the exercise machine.

"_Bullshit_," Harriet grunted as she completed one last repetition before slowly raising the handles to reset the machine. Ren gave her a worried look as she dusted off her hands and spun upon the padded seat to face him, her hands resting upon her knees. "Well… _kinda_ bullshit. You're not lying, but you're not telling the entire truth, either. We've been working together for a few weeks, now- long enough that I've picked up on some of your idiosyncrasies and habits, and long enough to know that you're worth investing time and energy into. You're hurting, and honestly? While we're off the field… that matters more than getting ready to go back _on_ the field. A lot of people have a lot of shit on their shoulders that they just choose not to show. Some of us can shove it aside, when the need arises."

"Like Marrow," Ren offered as he watched Harriet pick up a bottle of water from next to the seat and take a quick pull.

"Like Marrow," Harriet confirmed. "That's why he's Ace Ops… and that's why you're not, yet."

"_Yet?_" Ren asked, unable to hide the surprise in his tone.

"You heard me," Harriet deadpanned as she withdrew the towel from around her neck and used it to wipe her face. "I could see it, given another year or two. You've got potential, kid, and I think you're just now starting to realize that you might not be where you really belong, at the moment. Maybe you're growing out of your current role."

"…getting too old for Team JNR?" Ren tried with a soft smirk. His face fell at Harriet's cold stare. "Sorry. That was… awful. And why I don't do humor."

"Yeah, it was," Harriet agreed. "But it's not a matter of age. It's a matter of maturity and growth… and part of that is figuring out what's eating you, and fixing it."

Ren bit his bottom lip as Harriet bent low and picked up two dumbbells, before beginning a series of alternating curls while seated. He simply watched the older woman exercise, as the thought of just what her age might be floated through his mind. Ren banished the thought quickly, and looked off to the side.

"…honestly… I think that's part of it, in and of itself. I've heard from both you and Marrow how mature you think I am, and how I have potential… but I don't feel it, myself. Every time I think I have the path forward figured out, I get lost in the weeds once again. I thought I knew what I was going to do about Nora after we spoke yesterday, and then, with one text while out on patrol with Marrow, I feel even more unsure than before. Situations like that keep arising in all aspects of my life, and everything I thought I understood just becomes more and more confused, as the days go on. Lately, that problem has been getting especially bad. I feel… _helpless_. I feel like a small child, surprised by everything and unable to face it on my own, without outside assistance," Ren finished as he moved to sit upon the couch with his head in his hands.

For once, Harriet's expression softened as she set down her weights and stood from the padded seat. She moved to sit next to Ren, and silently put one of her hands upon his thigh.

"Ren," she began, her voice almost a whisper, "that's one of the most adult things I've ever heard in my life. Maturity isn't about knowing all of the answers, or being able to handle everything on your own- it's about knowing when you need help, and where to go to get it. Eventually, you'll be able to start figuring out almost everything on your own, but there will _always_ be some things that don't make sense, or feel unfair, or cut right through your best defenses. Realizing that you can't stand on your own all the time doesn't make you weak- it makes you _stronger_. A kid will fight, cry, kick, and scream when their parents try to do something for them for their own good. An adult will take that gift with grace and appreciation, and try to return the favor, later. These feelings are normal."

Ren kept his eyes upon the carpet as he massaged his temples with his thumbs. "How are you so put together? How can you be so sure of everything, and know exactly what to say?"

Harriet shifted upon the couch, and put her legs up onto the coffee table. "Everyone grows up at different speeds, and it's usually some kind of big event that really kickstarts the biggest leaps into adulthood. I grew up _way_ too fast, and part of it was my own damned fault. I made a lot of mistakes, got involved with a lot of things, and a lot of _people_ I shouldn't have… but I wouldn't change it, looking back. Seems to me like Nora's your 'big event.' What happened, yesterday?"

The notion of repeating his entire experience for a second time in the same day caused an unpleasant feeling of nausea within Ren's stomach. He reflected momentarily on how Marrow had offered condolences and pitying facial expressions alongside scattered bits of advice throughout his explanation of events to the faunus. Though Marrow's willingness to listen was appreciated, his reaction was soft, caring, and considerate. Ren knew that Harriet's would be colder, harsher, and likely, more final in its tone. He wasn't sure whether or not he was ready to face such a thing.

"It… went badly," Ren started slowly. He breathed out a long, frustrated sigh as he leaned back into the cushions and faced Harriet completely. "I owe you a full explanation, and I know it, but… I just feel _empty_. I feel like all of this should be making me feel better, and it isn't. I need to make a change, but I'm torn as to what. I relayed the entire conversation to Marrow, earlier, and though I appreciate his advice… speaking to him has only made me feel even more conflicted. I feel… _paralyzed_. It isn't your fault, or his- far from it. Without you two, I would be even more lost in this mire of negativity and misery than I am, at present."

Harriet listened silently as she kept her eyes on Ren, and waited for him to finish. As Ren closed his eyes and shook his head, she stood up from the couch, and cracked her neck.

"Ren… sometimes in life, things just get to be too much, and you need to hit a 'reset' button to even be able to think straight, again. I've been there. Marrow's been there. I'd bet good lien that _everyone's_ been there," Harriet said as she offered a hand. "Come on. You can barely function right now with all of this stress, and it's killing your ability to think coherently. I think it's time you cleared your mind."

Ren eyed the hand with hesitance, before he grasped it and pulled himself up to stand. "I agree… though, I haven't been able to meditate successfully in days. Each time I try, it's only made things worse."

"Not through meditation," Harriet clarified as she began to walk, keeping her fingers entwined with Ren's as she moved for the door at the far side of the room. "Do you trust me?"

Ren merely offered her a silent nod as he followed along, his heart pounding in his chest as his mind raced with possibilities.

* * *

It was a sensation that he had dearly missed, and though it had only been absent for a few days, it instead felt as though it had been gone from his life for weeks.

_Clarity_.

In that moment, nothing seemed to bother him anymore, and he became devoted to a singular purpose as his thoughts became laser-focused upon the task at hand. Feelings of warmth and comfort that Ren had thought long gone returned in an all-encompassing flood of sensation, and Ren finally felt as though he understood himself once again. While he could once again only see the insides of his eyelids, every sound of a passionate cry, every touch, and every heady scent seemed amplified, in contrast to his usual numbness while meditating. Flickers of memory danced through his thoughts as he gave in completely to his state of unfamiliar, forbidden bliss, and the scenes within his mind seemed somehow more real than the reality of his situation as they replayed within his mind.

_"But there are rules," Harriet warned in an authoritative tone that Ren had previously only associated with her colder, more formal attitude during field work. "Three simple, easy to follow rules. One- we do **not** touch lips, period. That isn't for you. It's nothing personal, in a negative way… but it's **very** personal for me."_

Ren's breathing hitched as another overwhelming and unfamiliar feeling shocked his system. He felt his arms twitch as though they would give out for a moment, but redoubled his efforts to remain braced upright as he sucked in a shuddering breath through his mouth.

_"Two- if at any point you feel like we need to stop, you let me know," Harriet instructed as she rolled her top up over her head, exposing her chest. Ren found himself suddenly unable to breathe as he took in the sight, her dark skin already trailing beads of sweat that curved down her neckline and between her breasts. "Physical, emotional, whatever- I don't care what the reason is. If you need to stop, we stop. I want this to be beneficial for you."_

Alternating feelings of warm, shifting flesh against his own and cool, trailing sweat along his neck and chest threatened to overwhelm Ren as he continued to move in rhythm. A small noise of effort escaped him as he squeezed his eyes shut even tighter, and he leaned slightly forward. Despite what would normally be a cripplingly embarrassing outburst, he knew in his heart that he could trust her not to make it an issue. He knew that somehow, in a situation he had never even considered prior, everything was going to work out for one glorious, passion-filled evening.

_"Last, and most importantly… do **not** get attached," Harriet demanded as she rolled off her undergarments and let them drop to the floor. She stood unclothed and unashamed before him, confident in herself as she exposed her body in its entirety to the nervous teen. "This doesn't have to be a one-time thing, depending on how you feel about it… but it **will** be if you can't handle keeping romance off the table. Honestly, more than anything- this should be some good fun, and a way to get your mind off things with a new experience. Sex doesn't have to be world-changing and filled with meaning… but it can be. Just don't let it mean something that it shouldn't, when it's between us. Are we clear?"_

_Ren hesitated as he felt his body begin to betray his desire to remain calm. His mouth felt dry, his outfit felt cumbersome, hot, and unusually heavy while simultaneously becoming too tight. Despite the fleeting thought to call the whole thing off, he fought through his nerves and reached up to begin unbuckling his armguard._

_"…crystal. I… just hope I don't disappoint you."_

_"You haven't yet," Harriet reassured as she moved in closer and put her hand up onto Ren's chest, only to begin undoing the buttoned cords upon his shirt. "Here. Let me help you."_

"Hey. You alright up there?" Harriet asked breathlessly from somewhere beneath him. Finally, Ren opened his eyes, and took in the sight of his partner below him. With his every movement, she reacted in kind, her bare chest bouncing wildly as she was pushed upward slightly along the bed before moving back down toward him to meet his hips once again. Her own breathing was erratic and sharp as she kept her hands upon his shoulders, though he could tell from her gaze alone that she was far more focused and coherent than he was.

"I… I-I'm fine," Ren insisted as he sucked in a breath and kept his eyes focused upon Harriet's. He had never noticed before just how similar their eyes were, or how hers seemed to subtly sparkle with mischief.

"And you're _doing_ fine," Harriet reassured, before letting out a small noise of exertion. The sound only drove Ren to refocus and commit to his movements even more as she dug her nails into his shoulders. "Don't fight it."

Somehow, Ren knew exactly what she meant as he felt his cheeks grow even hotter. A feeling unlike any other rushed through him as he pushed forward one last time, and held his position. He could feel Harriet's muscles shifting in response as she threw her head back and closed her eyes. Ren tried to cry out, only to feel his voice catch in his throat as all of his nervous adrenaline seemed to fizzle at once in one last, unfamiliar sensation of release. He could feel his forehead pounding as his waist became coated in a vague sense of sticky moisture, and all logic and reason left him in favor of an all-encompassing sensation of tightness.

With a few final, weak thrusts, he fell forward and braced himself upon one elbow as his other, shaking arm kept him upright. Ren had no energy left to resist as Harriet pulled him down atop herself and cradled his upper back in her arms. He buried his face into the side of her neck as he tried to catch his breath, basking in the comforting sensation of her embrace. The pair rested in that position for a long while as Ren felt his mind go completely blank. Eventually, Harriet shifted beneath him, and he felt the sensation of a gentle kiss within his sweaty, hanging mass of hair.

"Hey, you," she whispered directly into Ren's ear. "Make a trip to the bathroom, and collect your thoughts. I'll put on coffee."

Ren blinked as he propped himself up above her once again. Suddenly, he began to feel incredibly guilty, though he wasn't sure just why.

"Harriet, I couldn't ask you t-"

"And you didn't," Harriet pointed out. "Just trust me on this one. Take that thing off, do what you need to do, and meet me in the kitchen. Come on, big guy," she insisted as she patted lightly at his chest.

Ren slowly and carefully removed himself from their entanglement, and stood at the edge of the bed. He looked over Harriet one last time as she sat up and stretched with a groan while massaging her thigh. Without a word, he nodded and headed out into the main room of the penthouse.

Somehow, he hadn't _really_ felt truly naked until that moment, making his way across the carpet in the wide-open room. He nervously eyed the window as he paused on his way to the bathroom, and caught sight of the blurry, unfocused outline of his reflection in the glass. Despite the somewhat uncertain feeling that the sight of his messy hair and bare chest brought to him, he also began to feel oddly liberated. He merely chuckled softly to himself and finished his walk to the bathroom before stepping inside.

Ren gripped his upper arms as the air seemed to become colder within the confined space after he closed the door. He did as he was told and slowly peeled off his protection before discarding the item in a trash can next to the toilet. Upon being hit by a sudden, unpleasant urge, he went about his business as he once again stood silently, closed his eyes, and focused on simply breathing. Despite the feeling that he could finally _think_ again, Ren realized that for the moment, anyway, he had nothing he really wanted to think about.

As the toilet flushed, Ren moved to the sink to wash his hands, only to finally catch a full, unclouded view of himself within the bathroom mirror. He paused for a moment as he took in the details of his matted, shaggy hair, sweaty chest, and tired eyes. Despite his condition of looking rather like he had spent an entire day exerting himself out on an assignment, he hasn't particularly surprised to see his expression frozen into a content, muted smile. Ren shook his head with another chuckle before washing his hands, splashing a bit of water upon his face, and exiting the bathroom. He found Harriet sitting on a bar stool near the coffee pot in the kitchen, wearing a silken robe with the colors of the Ace Ops upon it. Ren moved to sit on the other stool she had dragged into the kitchen, only to hesitate and feel incredibly stupid as Harriet said what he was thinking.

"…_towel_, playboy," she said flatly. "Your bare, sweaty ass is _not_ messing up my furniture."

Ren sheepishly grinned as he rubbed at the back of his neck, and turned to head back to the bathroom.

"_Right_. I… sorry," he offered as he moved to the wall closet to pull down a fresh towel, before wrapping it around his waist and returning to the kitchen.

"It's fine," Harriet reassured with a wave of her hand. "How are you feeling?"

Ren braced his hands upon his knees as he sat beside Harriet, and offered her a smile. "Like… I can breathe, again. Like the world isn't suddenly ending, even if I can't quite make sense of everything."

"_There_ you go," Harriet encouraged with a punch to Ren's arm. She stood from her stool and began pouring coffee for the two of them as Ren rubbed at his upper arm. "Sometimes, you just need something new in your life, when things get to be too much. Everyone's got their own needs, and I think we just figured out one of yours."

Ren could feel his blush returning as he scratched at his scalp. "I suppose so. Harriet… _thank you_. I'll find a way to return the favor, somehow. I promise you that."

"Oh, you don't have to find it," Harriet reassured as she offered Ren a mug of steaming coffee. "Your ass is keeping me warm tonight."

"What a terrible fate," Ren lamented before blowing gently upon the surface of his coffee. "Really, though- you're a saint."

"If you want to call it that, I'll take it," Harriet said with a shrug before sipping from her own mug. "Not to knock you down from your high too quickly, but… do you still want to talk about Nora, now that you're feeling loose and calm?"

Oddly enough, the twinge of annoyance, guilt, and frustration that had accompanied his friend's name throughout the past few days didn't surface as Harriet spoke. In its absence, Ren instead took a smooth drink, before cradling his mug within his lap.

"I think… honestly, she and I just need to talk again. All of my worrying, planning out possible scenarios, and asking for advice really just… accomplished nothing, thus far." Ren paused, considering his statement as his mouth pulled into a frown. "Well… actually, no, that isn't accurate. All of that _did_ help me formulate an approach, and reach a state of balance in which I feel like I know which direction to move. It's fretting over the details that has done nothing."

"Bingo," Harriet praised before draining the rest of her mug and rolling her shoulders. "You know how you feel, and you know that you want to talk to her. Let those notions guide you, and just let things flow naturally from there. I'm gonna take a quick shower. Grab a blanket from the closet in my room, and meet me on the couch?"

"The couch?" Ren questioned as he set his empty mug down next to Harriet's.

"…ever try sleeping in a wet patch? You'll go insane," Harriet warned as she slipped out of her robe. "Trust me on this one."

"You haven't let me down yet," Ren echoed as he stood into a stretch.

"…cheeky little bastard," Harriet commented as she landed a hard swat on Ren's rear. He blinked in surprise as he watched Harriet head into the bathroom and close the door behind herself. Ren smirked to himself before heading back across the penthouse at a leisurely pace, his head clear and thoughts focused on a myriad of freshly-made memories.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

One chapter to go, and it'll likely go up on Monday or Tuesday. I need to work on the Sunday update for _Arboretum_, especially considering that this story literally came out of nowhere and ate my entire week.

Also, this chapter proves that Ren really only needed one thing to start making sense of his complicated relationship with Nora.

Coffee.

**-RD**


	5. Calm

Ren lazily opened one eye as the intermittent vibrations continued from somewhere to his left. Groggily, he reached a hand out from beneath his blanket and found purchase on the rattling device responsible for the noise, before slowly drawing it up to his eye level with a soft groan. A smiling redhead within a small circular portrait greeted him, and his heart skipped a beat at the sight.

_Breakfast?_

Ren blinked in surprise as a shock of blonde and brown hair emerged from beneath the blanket, and then a familiar head rested its chin upon his chest. He internally panicked for a moment before flashes of the previous night played through his mind, and he remembered that he and Harriet had fallen asleep together upon the couch. It was at that very same moment that he remembered that they were both very much naked, and pressed together rather tightly.

"Izzat Nora?" Harriet slurred before chasing the question with a sleepy yawn and bashing her forehead into Ren's collarbone with her eyes closed.

"Yes," Ren replied simply, feeling very much awake in contrast to his companion. "She wants to meet for breakfast, and I th-"

"Go," Harriet said simply. "Trust yourself, and go. What time is it?"

Ren blinked and checked his scroll again, while sending off a response. "Four past seven."

"_Damn_," Harriet swore as she lifted her head and blinked several times. The pair locked eyes for a moment, before Harriet shook her head. "You go ahead and shower first, since you've got somewhere to be. I'd say we should go together, but neither of us needs that kind of distraction right now. Not gonna lie, last night was a lot of fun."

"We don't, and it was," Ren agreed with a blush. He gently placed his hands on Harriet's shoulders and guided her to a sitting position as the blanket slipped from over her chest to pool in her lap. "Still, I… owe you everything. You've changed so much in my life, in so little time. No matter what happens with Nora, I would very much like for us to remain close."

"So would I," Harriet agreed as she scratched the side of her neck. "Just keep in mind the same thing I've told Marrow- when we're on the field together, we're professionals, and that's that. No flirting, no jokes, no cheeky implications- _nothing_. This is for us, and _just_ for us."

Ren paused, and mulled over the proposition. A lingering doubt tugged at the edge of his mind, but he chased it away with a shake of his head as he slipped out from beneath the blanket and stood.

"Of course. That isn't my style, regardless," Ren reassured as he kept his eyes away from Harriet's.

Harriet raised her arms above herself in a stretch as she leaned back into the cushions, her eyes unashamedly fixated upon Ren's backside. "Good. _Some_ people don't quite get it, and need reminders. Oh, and don't be too offended if this is only an occasional thing, or we go for a while without really 'hanging out', as it were. Things are about to heat up again with Amity Coliseum, and I've got some paperwork to catch up on."

Ren turned to face Harriet once again and offered her a slow nod. "I understand. Though, at some point… I _would_ like to try to do something for you, equivalent to all you've done for me. Whether something else entirely, or perhaps, offering some perspective on y-"

"No," Harriet interrupted quickly with a wave of her hand. "Maybe the former, but definitely _not _the latter. I made it this far, and I'm happy where I'm at. Thanks, though."

Ren did his best to hide his disappointment by masking the feeling with a soft smile. He gave Harriet one final nod before he turned and began to head for the bathroom. "Alright. I'll stop by again later to let you know how things went, and to launder your sheets, to start. It's the least I can do."

"Now _there's_ a good first step on the road to breaking even," Harriet praised as she stood from the couch and began a series of stretches. "And hey, Ren?"

The teen paused and looked over his shoulder, with one hand upon the doorframe of the bathroom.

"…coffee?"

Ren considered the offer, before subtly shaking his head as he closed his eyes. "No, thank you. I think I'll be alright, for now."

Harriet watched Ren close the door behind himself before she cracked her neck and headed into the kitchenette, where she went about making breakfast for one.

* * *

"Hey, sorry I'm a little late," Nora offered as she sat down at the two-person table in the cafeteria. "My hair just would _not_ behave this morning, and then Jaune was hogging the mirror with _his_ new hair, and… it was a whole thing."

Ren merely smirked in response, his hand loosely gripping his mug as he gestured to another waiting at Nora's end of the table. "Really, it's not a problem. I… got you coffee. Black and three sugars, of course."

"Of course," Nora echoed as she took the cup in a death grip and drank deeply while avoiding Ren's eyes. Finally, she returned the mug to the table, and looked over it at Ren. "Did… _you_ do something to your hair?"

Ren blinked and tilted his head, allowing his ponytail to shift to one side.

"…no. Not anything I haven't been doing since we all decided to change it up a little," Ren said curiously.

"Oh. Well… I don't know, it's just… you look good. Different, somehow," Nora offered.

"As do you," Ren replied. "Truly. Maybe I just haven't really… _looked_ at you in a few days, but… you look good, as well."

"Thanks," Nora said with a hint of uncertainty in her tone. "Are you… going to go and get anything to eat?"

Ren cast a sidelong glance at the food service area on the other end of the room, and then shook his head. "To be honest… I'm… not really hungry."

"Yeah. Neither am I," Nora admitted as she took a napkin from the dispenser and busied herself with rolling it between her fingers.

The two teens fell silent as Ren sipped his drink. He calmly regarded Nora from across the table as she once again avoided his eyes. In time, she began to drum her fingers upon the surface of the table, providing a staccato soundtrack to their waiting period. Eventually, Nora opted to jitter her leg up and down instead, until she finally sucked in a massive breath through her nose and leaned forward, looking nearly ready to burst into tears.

"Ren, I am _so _sorry for the way I've been acting lately, and it's all my fault th-"

"_Stop_," Ren commanded as he put up a hand. Nora obeyed, her face a mixture of anguish and apprehension. "I will hear _almost_ anything you have to say about our current situation, but the one thing I will _not_ hear is that the fault lies entirely with you. I contributed to this mess as well, and as your closest friend, I'm not about to allow you to bury yourself in shame and self-loathing over a bump in the road."

Nora leaned back into her chair and brought her napkin up to wipe at her eyes. "_Ren_…"

"I mean it, Nora," Ren insisted with the gentlest voice he could manage. "Yes, your advances and antics grew to be too much over time, and yes, you did walk away the last time we tried this… but never once did I do anything to let you know how I was feeling, before it was far too late. A relationship- _any_ relationship- takes compromise, and works on a sliding scale. That scale can easily tip too far to one side if care and attention isn't given to maintaining balance, from both sides. A friend taught me that, only recently."

"It… _would_ have been helpful to know what you were thinking, before this past week," Nora admitted. "In my mind, I had this whole, perfect fantasy laid out in which we'd just… somehow become world-famous hunters after graduating Beacon together, and then embark on some whirlwind romance. Maybe even elope and leave Jaune incredibly confused. Over time, it built into saving the world together, defeating Salem together, and our bonds getting deeper and deeper throughout our travels. I guess I just… didn't notice that things weren't really working out that way. Or I didn't _want_ to notice."

Ren listened intently as Nora spoke, and calmly sipped his drink. As she finally stopped gesturing and reclined in her seat once again, Ren took a deep breath and stared down into the translucent liquid within his cup.

"Nora… I need to tell you something that I should have told you long ago. From the day that Kuroyuri burned, my life was driven by a singular purpose- to become strong and focused enough to return to that village one day and kill the grimm responsible for taking everything from me. I trained in body and mind as hard as I could, and many times, I almost broke myself- both physically, and mentally. The only thing that ever stopped me from going too far was… _you_," Ren admitted with a sigh. "At first, it was a simple drive to protect you. A second duty that I couldn't carry out if I worked myself too hard, otherwise. In time, your spirit, your energy, and… really, something so simple as your smile made me see that life was worth living for more than vengeance. You became my guiding light, and I realized that _wherever_ the path I took to reach my goal meandered, I was happy to walk it at your side. But then, eventually…"

"…that path came to an end," Nora finished. "An end where you almost threw everything away again, until I stopped you."

Ren took another deep breath, and his expression pulled into one of guilt.

"…yes. In that frenzied moment, I became… someone else. Who I used to be, before you helped me discover balance within my life. I became something ugly and twisted. Something hardly better than the grimm I sought to hunt… and when it was finally dead, I was left without any purpose other than to 'do good' and reach Haven Academy," Ren admitted. "I started just… drifting through life, I suppose. I had nothing concrete to train for, and you no longer needed my protection."

"Maybe not, but I still needed _you_," Nora insisted. "I still need you now. Look at how crazy and complicated everything is getting. Almost every single meaningful conversation I've had since we got to Atlas has been with you… and we've barely talked."

Ren blinked, and ran a hand through his hair. "Almost?"

"…Neon… actually helped me a lot, yesterday," Nora admitted. "I was in a really bad, unfamiliar place, and if it wasn't for her, I wouldn't have the nerve to be sitting here with you, right now. I also talked to Jaune and Oscar last night, and they said pretty much the same thing she did. Those three convinced me to just bite the bullet and come here to face you, without dancing around the issue the way that I have been."

"And I've been speaking to Harriet and Marrow quite a bit, lately," Ren offered. He watched with annoyance as Nora's neutral expression shifted to one of disappointment. The sight brought about a sinking feeling within his chest, though he refused to look away. "Nora… I still care about you, even if our opinions about Amity Coliseum differ greatly."

"And I care about you. I really do, Ren, but… I just can't get past you supporting Ironwood in everything he does," Nora replied. "It's really upsetting me. I've _never_ felt this passionately about a cause before, and it's bringing something out from beneath the surface that I didn't even know I had inside."

"I know," Ren said. "But… I can't apologize. For the first time in a long time, I have a goal to work toward that I truly believe is worth doing. I can understand where you're coming from with your stance on Mantle, but I don't agree with it. Despite all of that, though… it doesn't change the way that I feel about you."

"It doesn't?" Nora asked, her voice very small as she awkwardly rubbed the side of her mug.

"It doesn't," Ren confirmed. "I still have tremendous respect for you, and I still feel empty when we're fighting. Nora, I think it would be accurate to say that I love you very much, but I don't yet know if I'm _in_ love with you. Our current conflict of interest doesn't change that, but trying to force me to feel the way you do is only pushing me away. I've _never_ felt romantic love for anyone, and the possibility didn't seem important to me at all until we started fighting, recently. I still feel directionless at times, and I still feel numb and hopeless on occasion. I'm not ready to lock myself onto another path forward just yet, and I don't have an answer for you about the future… but I _am_ willing to try to find it somehow, someday," he offered as he put his hand out across the table. "I'm truly sorry that I can't offer you more, but for where I am in my life right now… I'm offering you everything I can give."

Nora stared down at the offered hand, feeling numb. It took several seconds before she looked up at him once again and placed her palm into his. Somehow, in that moment, words unrehearsed leapt to the forefront of her mind, and she let them flow freely in a style she had grown very accustomed to over the years, albeit more slowly than usual.

"Ren… I've been waiting _years_ for us to take a first step together, romantically… and it just hasn't come. I should have admitted it to myself sooner, but there is just… _so much_ between us that doesn't mesh, and maybe it never will. I've noticed your changes, and I've been proud of them all until recently, even when you had to fight through something horrible to get there… but I've never really stepped back and appreciated that you _are_ changing, and that alone changes how well we fit together," Nora explained as she shook her head. "I think… maybe it's best if we stay close on the road ahead, but… maybe we both explore a little, as we wander? It sounds to me like you're still trying to find out exactly what you want out of life, and I need to work on finding out exactly who I am. I built a whole identity around trying to attract your attention, and when I'm alone… that isn't me. The past few days that I've been without you, I've been someone completely different. I barely recognize her, but in some ways… I want to get to know her better."

"I think those terms are agreeable," Ren said as he lightly massaged the back of Nora's hand with his thumb. "There's an entire world of possibility out there. It's something I want to explore, but it's going to require time. To be honest, I wouldn't be opposed to… going on a date with you, if you would be interested. With all that's gone on, I, too, feel like I'm just getting to know myself. Maybe self-discovery is something we could work on together? It's scary, but it's far scarier alone."

"I would like that," Nora said simply. "And I totally get it. Just something simple, and nothing exclusive. Maybe… maybe _I _should branch out, too, and work on being more honest with myself. See if there's anyone I've been missing signs from."

"Perhaps those branching paths with lead us back to each other," Ren offered as he withdrew his hand. "And perhaps not. Either way, though… you will _always_ have me, Nora, as a best friend. I have incredible memories and insight that I would never have gained without you. You've also… taught me a thing or two."

"…I've _taught_ you things?" Nora asked with a raised brow.

"Of course you have. Without you, I'd have no idea what a sloth sounds like," Ren replied with a confident smirk.

Nora snorted loudly, before covering her face with her hand. "Ren, that was _years_ ago."

"Oh, I'm well aware. And here's to many more years to come," Ren suggested as he raised his mug. Nora met the gesture with her own, and then drained the remainder of her coffee.

"Well… I think I honestly want to just be alone for a while. Maybe go for a walk or something. Even though this ended better than I expected, I still feel… tense, and kinda terrible," Nora admitted as she set down her empty mug.

"As do I, to be honest. Why not invite Neon to go with you?" Ren suggested. "Being alone while feeling low is never pleasant, and few things can surprise like getting to know a new friend."

Nora's muted frown upturned into a gentle smile as she stood from the table and took her mug with her. "You know what? Yeah. Yeah, I think that's a good idea. Thanks, Ren. For… well…"

"I know," Ren said with a nod. "And I feel the same way. I'll see you soon, Nora."

Nora merely nodded and offered him a wave before making her way out of the cafeteria. Ren watched his friend go with a wistful sigh, and then pulled out his scroll to send a text to Harriet.

_It's done. We're remaining friends and taking things slowly. Nothing concrete in either direction just yet, but we made it through the rough patch, for now._

Ren pocketed his scroll and took another sip, only to jump slightly as he heard his name and felt a buzz within his clothing at the same time.

"_Ren!_" a familiar voice called only moments before Marrow slid into the seat across from him, nursing a coffee cup of his own. "How's it going? I was going to text you to check if you were alright, but I didn't want to wake you, or interrupt anything. You never came by last night."

Ren felt a sudden sinking feeling as he realized that had indeed forgotten to let Marrow know about his change of plans.

"Oh, I… ended up staying with Harriet," Ren said quickly before bringing up his mug to hide his muted blush. He chanced a quick look at Marrow's eyes, only to just barely catch the subtle conversion from disappointment to a forced smile that appeared upon the faunus' face.

"Oh! Well, hey, no worries! So long as you're alright, then I guess things all worked out last night," Marrow insisted as he put a hand upon the table and began to stand up.

"Wait," Ren insisted, only for Marrow to freeze, wide-eyed. "Could I… talk to you, for a moment?"

Marrow hesitated before slowly lowering himself back into the seat as his tail swished behind him. His shoulders were rigid, and his jaw set tightly. "Sure, I guess. I don't really have anywhere to be for a bit. What's up?"

"Well, first, I believe things with Nora are resolved, for the moment. We just spoke, and she left only minutes ago," Ren said as he returned to sitting with perfect posture.

"Oh? That's great news!" Marrow said a bit too enthusiastically. "I'm glad to hear it."

"Second, something is bothering you," Ren said calmly as he kept his eyes locked to Marrow's. The two stared each other down, unblinking. Over time, Marrow's facial expression began to falter, until he finally looked away with a defeated sigh.

"Marrow," Ren began slowly. "_Please_. You listened to me and put yourself out there, simply because you wanted to help someone in need. Even when, by your own admission, you thought that you couldn't do much, you tried your hardest to contribute what you could, and did an admirable job of providing advice. Allow me to return the favor as not just someone in your debt, but a friend who genuinely cares about your wellbeing."

Marrow's face contorted into several contrasting expressions as he fought an internal battle. Eventually, he let out a sigh long enough that it seemed he would deflate entirely as he shook his head several times before letting it hang pathetically. All motion of his tail came to an immediate stop, and the appendage hung limply between the backing and seat of his chair.

"It's… _Harriet_."

Ren said nothing as he kept his lips drawn into a tight line, waiting for the faunus to continue.

"You're… not the only one who has spent nights with her, and when I gave you the go-ahead to talk to her again yesterday, I was kinda afraid that this would happen," Marrow admitted with a guilty look. "Just, for my own peace of mind, did you two…?"

Ren let the question linger, until he realized that Marrow couldn't bring himself to finish it.

"…have… sex?"

Marrow grimaced and nodded with another sigh.

"…we did," Ren admitted, only for Marrow to make a frustrated noise. The sound made Ren feel incredibly guilty, and he looked away from Marrow as quickly as he could. "I'm sorry…?"

Marrow quickly looked up and put a hand upon the table. "No, Ren, you didn't… look, you're entitled… _she's_ entitled to do whatever she wants, and…"

Finally, Ren allowed himself to look at Marrow once again, and took in the faunus' nervous behavior. A realization hit him like a ton of bricks, and he could do little else than say it aloud.

"…you have feelings for her. Feelings beyond sharing something physical, now and then."

Marrow remained very still for several seconds. He gripped his mug tightly, looking absolutely miserable, and his rigid posture eventually gave way to a few small nods and an even smaller voice.

"It's been… a few years, since I joined the Ace Ops. The first couple of months were _rough_. I didn't really fit in, I couldn't understand their attitudes, and I honestly thought I'd made the biggest mistake of my life by signing on," Marrow explained. "No one really seemed to care about anything other than my results in the field, no matter how bad I was at keeping my feelings under wraps. Sure, Elm would offer words of encouragement now and then, but they always just… rang hollow, like some mass-produced motivational posters. It wasn't until Harriet bit the bullet and put herself out there for me that I felt like I had a connection with anyone in Ace Ops. She brought me back to her penthouse one night, and just… _listened_, when no one else was interested in doing so."

"She's rather good at that," Ren offered with a nod. Marrow returned the gesture with a wistful smile and yet another sigh.

"She's _the best_. I rarely talk to people that make it seem like they're _really_ listening, and not just waiting for their turn to say what's on their mind. Honestly, it's… kinda just Harriet, and now you. Venting sessions with Harriet happened more and more as the days went on, and eventually… she offered to take care of me and calm my nerves on a night when I just couldn't take it anymore. The offer just came with… three simple rules," Marrow finished, looking at Ren expectantly.

"No kissing lips-to-lips, an offer to stop for any reason, and a demand not to get attached," Ren filled in before taking a sip.

"Yeah," Marrow agreed with a sheepish grin. "I'm… going to guess that you won't be shocked to learn that I eventually broke rules 1 and 3."

"I would imagine that given long enough, they would be hard to uphold," Ren consoled.

"For me? _Impossible_. For Harriet? They're her safety net, and I tore a hole in it. I lasted a few months before I pissed her off with an errant kiss, and she went off on me. I didn't understand what the problem was, but I _did_ understand that I'd hurt her in ways I didn't anticipate. Things were tense for a while, but she came back around. About a year into our… uh, _arrangement_, I tried talking to her about my problem with just remaining friends with benefits. I told her exactly how I felt and how much she really meant to me, expecting to be the one to turn her thinking around. Instead, she was… _furious_. She told me that I was taking advantage of her, our entire relationship was over, and that she regretted helping me to begin with. I've… never really been hurt like that, before," Marrow confessed.

"But things seem better now," Ren pointed out with as much optimism as he could manage. "I take it you somehow 'won her back', at least to the level you used to be with her?"

"I did," Marrow confirmed with a nod. "It was a matter of _weeks_ where she would barely talk to me outside of the field, but in time… I realized that she was right, and I apologized until I was blue in the face. I swore off any romantic feelings, and over several months, we rebuilt our relationship as best friends even stronger than it had been before. Eventually, we were… back to having sex. I can pretty much keep my feelings out of it, but I can't help feeling them in secret, Ren. I'm lying to her all over again, but keeping my mouth shut while doing it."

"…she would _kill_ you, if she knew," Ren warned with a sympathetic look.

"…I know. And I'd deserve it," Marrow admitted.

"Then why do you continue?" Ren asked, feeling unbidden pity for his companion. "You know that what you're doing is wrong."

"Because it's the closest thing I have to a meaningful relationship. I've… rationalized over time that it's probably the best thing I'll ever have in that aspect of my life, and I'd be an idiot to throw it away. I'm closer to her than anyone else, and other guys would _kill_ to sleep with her… even if, at the end of the day, that's not what I want out of it. Not really," Marrow let on as he braced an elbow upon the table and used his hand to cradle his chin. "In some ways… I'm letting her use me, too, just like it was back at Hearth. The only difference is that this time, I'm getting to live out my fantasy, too."

The two men sat in silence for a long while, neither touching their drinks as they both stared down at the table. Finally, Ren did a quick look around the room to make sure no one was in earshot, before leaning forward slightly and lowering his voice.

"Marrow… do you know why Harriet insists upon keeping others at a distance?"

Marrow looked up, his mouth pulling to one side in an expression of defeat. "No. She wouldn't tell me. I do know it's more than keeping work and play separate, but her reasons have stayed with her since we met. I get the feeling no one knows, to be honest... and it's something I just don't agree with, on any level. I want to love, openly and honestly, with someone who feels the same. I _can't_ keep my feelings away, even when we're working. That's just not who I am."

"…you deserve better," Ren said simply, only to earn a shocked look from Marrow.

"_What?_ Ren, no, Harriet is a selfless, incredible woman wh-"

"You misunderstand," Ren interrupted as he put a hand up from the surface of the table. "Harriet is an incredible woman, yes, but you deserve to _feel_ better than you do now. Maintaining your relationship with her as you do at the moment is eventually going to ruin you, and likely, your relationship with her. I think you know that."

Marrow fidgeted in his seat and coughed lightly, looking crestfallen.

"…_yeah_."

"Then stop it. Perhaps, even tell her why. I feel that she would appreciate the honesty if you frame the conversation correctly, and explain to her that you can't continue being physically intimate due to your inability to keep it without emotion," Ren advised. "As odd and incomprehensible as they may be for men like us, Harriet's methods work for her, and that should be a good enough reason to respect them. Tell her that, and I think she will understand why you need to make a change."

Marrow nodded along with the words, until he tilted his head and gave Ren a quizzical look.

"…men like us?"

Ren took a deep breath and blew it out as a sigh. "I have _never_ held romantic interest in anyone before, but hearing Nora's words about what she sees in me, and watching how such feelings have surfaced so strongly amongst some of my friends, yourself included? I'm… beginning to realize that it's something I'm missing in my life, and may be part of the reason I've felt directionless for so long. It seems to me like you're coming from the opposite direction, and you're afraid of being hurt again after loving so deeply and not having it returned."

"You could say that," Marrow agreed. "I can't go through another Hearth, especially not with Harriet. It would destroy me. Even if I do confess to her, and we reconcile our standing into something new and less painful, there's always going to be damage there from the first incident, and the length of time I've kept these feelings secret. I don't know if I can ever fully separate my thoughts from the way I feel about her."

"Then head the possibility off at the pass, and focus on healing by way of trying something new. Something… _atypical_, as a friend once suggested to me," Ren insisted as he gently laid his hand atop Marrow's. The faunus' eyes widened at the sudden contact, and he let out a full-body shiver. "Why not make an attempt at something completely different, with someone who appreciates your enthusiasm, personality, and penchant for wearing your heart on your sleeve?"

Marrow tensed as he looked down at Ren's hand, and did his best to keep his confused feelings from showing upon his face, to limited success.

"…Ren, are you sure about this? I'm a _mess_, beneath the surface. I just poured my heart out to you and admitted that I'm pathetic and deseprate. I get attached too easily, I'm lying to my best friend and myself, and…" he trailed off, feeling uneasy.

"…there is more to your heart than what you've just shown, and even what small glimpses I've seen are brimming with a rare passion that I think is worth protecting and supporting," Ren encouraged with a slight nod. "I can't promise you anything other than an opportunity to get to know each other better, and complete honesty and directness from day one. I'm still feeling out where I want to go moving forward with Nora… but I'm not opposed to the idea of setting out down a path with you, as well, and seeing where it takes us. There is a lot between the two of us that seems to be compatible, and thus far, talking to you has been both natural and enjoyable in a way that doesn't hold true for anyone else I know, other than Harriet. I leave it up to you," he finished as he withdrew his hand.

Marrow tried his best to sit still as he considered the offer, only to fidget uncontrollably in his seat as he shifted this way and that. The answer came to him almost immediately, though he tried to hide his excitement as best he could as he sucked in a breath and spoke in the calmest tone he could manage.

"…I would like that. I would like that a lot," Marrow said with a toothy grin. "You're… interesting, and you've been supportive, even when I'm the one that's supposed to be helping you out. I don't think I've ever met anyone else like you."

"Then it's settled," Ren said as he stood up from his seat, taking his mug with him. "Let's give it a day, and then perhaps, tomorrow night, we can… find something to do, and talk more. Just the two of us."

Marrow nodded appreciatively as Ren moved toward him. "Ren… _thank you_. I don't even know what to say."

Ren lightly touched his free hand to Marrow's shoulder as he passed, and offered a curt nod. "Just make sure that when you figure it out, you let me know."

The boy continued on toward the exit to the cafeteria and brought his cup of tea up to drain the last of the liquid. He placed the empty mug upon the return area atop the trashcan, and briefly looked over his shoulder to give Marrow one last glance. Ren chuckled softly to himself as he watched the faunus' tail swishing excitedly back and forth between the backrest and seat of the chair, before making his way out into the hall, feeling optimistic. Suddenly, he remembered that he had received a text from Harriet, and took his scroll out to read the message.

_Glad to hear it. Are you okay?_

Ren continued walking as he allowed himself a subtle smirk and tapped out a response.

_I will be_.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

I had a whole thing to put here, but I think I'm going to let people make their own meaning of this story. It seems more fitting that way. For now, I'll be turning my focus back to weekly _Arboretum_ updates and _Journal of a Vacuan Vagabond_… and sometime in January, _What You Stole_ will start getting Volume 7 content.

**-RD**


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